A New Cullen Life
by CriminalBones92
Summary: *Book 2 *Sequel to 'A New Cullen Sister' Amelia's change was inevitable. After living with the Cullens for several months, her health deteriorated to the point that Carlisle had no choice but to change her, or the family would have to face losing her again, this time permanently. How will Amelia cope with her new life? What does the future hold for the Cullen family?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

 **Please note that this is the sequel to "A New Cullen Life". If you have not read it as yet, I recommend doing so as this book will not make much sense.**

* * *

A single heartbeat echoed through the house, appearing as though it mocked the Cullen and Denali families as it raced along. Three days had passed, three agonisingly slow days. Yet there was still no change to Amelia, no relief from the torment that was burning through her veins.

"Eleazar, should it be taking this long?" Carlisle's voice was tortured as he paced the study.

"Carlisle, listen to her heartbeat. It is strong. She just needs time."

"What have I done to my daughter, old friend?" If agony had an expression, it would be the one on Carlisle's face.

"You have saved her life, that is what you did. Please stop beating yourself up."

"It's been three days. She should be nearly done. Instead she is burning up," Carlisle placed an icy hand on Amelia's forehead, "she has not burned like this since she got pneumonia the last time you visited."

"Alice keeps seeing her waking up. Try to relax."

"But everyone else's transformation took three days!"

"Amelia is not everyone else. She had significant damage to her body," Eleazar explained kindly.

"So did Bella and Esme! They had broken vertebral columns and spinal damage for goodness sake!"

"Their bodies had structural damage, for lack of a better term. Amelia's bodily damage is on a cellular level. She had significantly more wrong with her than a handful of broken bones," interjected Blythe, joining in on their conversation. She had been sitting quietly next to Amelia along with Samantha and Alair, watching the conversation between Eleazar and Carlisle like a tennis match.

"Should we remove the oxygen?" queried Alair.

"She still needs to breathe," reminded Samantha, "the venom has not yet healed her lungs."

As if to emphasise her point, Amelia coughed loudly. Samantha tapped her back a few times to try to dislodge the mucus obstructing her airway. She had arrived only an hour prior, after Emmett had called her. The Denalis had arrived only a couple of hours after Amelia had slipped into the coma that triggered the change to begin with. Carlisle had phoned the hospital to inform them that he would not be in, as Amelia had taken a turn for the worse. Alair had arrived ten minutes later. Sixteen vampires were assembled Forks, waiting. The four vampires proficient in health care, namely Carlisle, Blythe, Samantha and Alair, along with Eleazar, were ensconced in Carlisle's office, surrounding the teenager whose transformation was taking a tad longer than expected.

Rosalie and Emmett were downstairs, trying to keep everyone's spirits up. Jasper and Alice had left the house temporarily, and were lurking in the woods, far away enough that Jasper would not be so badly affected by the generally gloomy environment of the Cullen mansion, and close enough that Alice could notify them of any changes. Bella and Edward were on the Reservation with Renesmee, determined to shield their daughter from what was transpiring.

Edward had confirmed that he could not hear anything from Amelia just before they left, a fact which worried Carlisle. Amelia's gift would not kick in until she was turned, so how was it that she seemed to be affected already? Jemima was sitting in Tanya's lap; even she had picked up on the morose atmosphere and was pining for her owner. Garret and Kate were in the garden, unsure what to do with themselves.

Carmen had taken Esme out of the office for a little while. Esme's nerves were shattered, and she was becoming increasingly concerned that Amelia might never wake up. Her daughter had been so quiet; the only noise she ever made was when she was coughing. Just like Bella. Amelia seemed to be locked in her coma. Esme had initially been worried how she would manage listening to her sweet baby girl crying out as the venom spread, but now she would give anything to listen to that agony. The silence was deafening.

* * *

"Any change yet?" Esme whispered, coming to sit in the office once more. Carlisle shook his head. Esme was not alone, in her arms sat the Scottie who was desperate for her owner. She put Jemima on the bed, next to Amelia, and the small dog immediately climbed over her and licked her face. When she received no response, Jemima playfully attacked Amelia's ears. Still no response.

With a whine, she looked up in confusion at Carlisle and Esme, before nudging Amelia. Carlisle reached out to stroke Jemima, soothing the dog. With her ears down, she curled up in the crook of Amelia's neck, sighing loudly. She rested her head on Amelia's shoulder, determined to keep her owner safe while she healed.

* * *

Amelia floated in a dark abyss. Her comatose state was peaceful. There was no pain, no struggle to draw in breath. How strange. Was she in heaven? Where was the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel? Was she dying? If so, thank goodness it was so quick. But wait, what about Carlisle and Esme? Where were they? Had she abandoned them? Panic began to overtake her. She needed to get back to them. She shut her eyes, and willed herself back to the living world.

When she opened her eyes, she was next to a river. She stifled a giggle, how quaintly medieval. Oh wait, wrong time frame. Ancient Roman mythology preceded the middle ages. Was this the River Styx? Was Charon the Ferryman going to come and ask for his money so that she could pass? She patted down her pockets. Nope, no money. Wait, no pockets either. Oh, she was in those cute Winnie the Pooh pyjamas that Alice brought home with her from a trip to Olympia. Oh great, was she doomed to spend all of eternity in those pyjamas?

"Amelia Bedelia!" came an awfully familiar-sounding voice. It was the second time that day she had heard that voice. It brought her such joy to hear it once more.

" _Maman_!" she cried, throwing her arms around Abigail Theodore. Christopher stood behind her, a large smile on his face.

"There's my girl," whispered Christopher, hugging his daughter as well.

"You know, I was always more of an Enid Blyton girl, rather than Peggy Parish," she commented slyly. Her parents blinked in confusion, then burst into laughter, understanding the joke.

"Alright, Amelia _Jane_ ," teased her mother.

"That's much better."

"We miss you sweetheart. We watched you at the concert. Heavens, I thought Simon and Peter were going to cry!" commented Abigail.

"We are so proud of you. We are sorry for everything that you had to go through, sorry for leaving you when you were so young," Christopher's voice trembled with emotion.

"You know about all of that?" Amelia's voice was tight with horror and relief. Horror – they had seen everything she had gone through; relief – they had never left her side.

"We have always been, and will always be, nearby. Whenever you need us, just call. Even if we cannot see you, we are still here."

"All those times I cried for you when he-" she shut her eyes, willing the images to go away. Seeing that she was struggling, Abigail took over.

"Yes," she whispered, placing her hand on her daughter's cheek. Green eyes met blue ones. Amelia nodded.

"What happens now?" she asked her mother.

"You need to return to your family," explained Bree, suddenly appearing. The pair executed a complicated secret handshake before dissolving into giggles.

"But you guys are my family," Amelia spoke softly, once her and Bree had composed themselves.

"We always will be in here," Abigail placed her hand over Amelia's heart, "but your family needs you. Your mom and dad are counting down the hours until you can spend eternity with them. Your brothers and sisters cannot wait for you to join them. You are so loved, and your father and I are most grateful to them. Please Amelia, I know you told them already, but please tell them from us once more, we are forever appreciative."

Amelia nodded, a single tear falling down her cheek as she hugged her parents and her best friend one final time.

"Be free, Amelia. Live your life," her mother whispered as Amelia once again floated into the abyss.

* * *

Several hours later, as the inky blackness of the night slowly began to lighten, something changed. It was Jemima who raised the alarm, starting suddenly and giving a soft whine. Carlisle and Esme watched in amazement as Amelia's chest appeared to deflate with an audible creak. Her rib cage lost its rounded, barrel-like appearance and took on a more normal shape. Her dark hair thickened and grew longer. Her fingers and toes, which were clubbed, began to take on a more normal appearance. She grew a couple of inches, Carlisle estimated that his sixteen year old was close on six feet. Her greyish skin, which was tinged with red as her fever burned, began to pale, taking on the porcelain colouring so typically of vampires.

"Is she crying?" whispered Esme, her voice tinged with awe.

"I do believe she is," replied Carlisle. Esme was right. A single tear rolled down Amelia's cheek.

"Amelia, can you hear me?" begged Esme, desperate for some sort of indication that her Amelia was alright. Amelia gave none.

 _Edward?_ Thought Carlisle. The vampire in question was upstairs in a flash and speaking softly to Amelia as he helped her shift through her confused thoughts.

"She's alright, Esme. She's awake but she's afraid to move or speak because she is in pain. She is worried that should she move, she will be unable to stop screaming. She says hi, and wants you to know that she loves you," Edward chuckled at the last bit. Typical Amelia.

"I love you too sweetheart," cried Esme, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Edward smiled at them and left the room, leaving mother, father and child in peace. Jemima trotted after him, eager to play with Renesmee a bit. The pair got on well and Renesmee often threw tennis balls and sticks for the Scottie. Jemima particularly liked chasing bubbles, a task which Amelia was incapable of managing. She had tried it once, and wound up fainting on the grass from hypoxia. She threw up as soon as she regained consciousness. Needless to say, she was more than willing to allow Renesmee the task of blowing bubbles. Emmett had tried to play fetch, but had wound up throwing the tennis ball into the forest. It was still missing.

* * *

A buzzing sound surrounded Amelia as she floated. She wanted to swat away at the fly that was bothering her but her arms were too heavy to move. The buzzing got louder and turned into distinct voices. A female voice cried out in sadness, calling her name. It sounded familiar. Amelia yearned to comfort the person with the sad voice but could not. A second person was in the room and the person sighed softly. Amelia was unsure who it was, but she suspected that it was a male. She was sure she had heard that sigh somewhere before. A third person entered the room and spoke. It was also a male voice. Suddenly the peaceful feeling disappeared.

Amelia felt her spirit slam back into her body. She was burning everywhere. It hurt. She daren't open her mouth to scream, she daren't move in case it worsened the fire that held her body in a vice-like grip. She also registered a small body nestled in the crook of her neck. It was a dog. It was Jemima. Her memories flooded back to her as she awakened from the coma that her body had put her into. It was Edward who was speaking and guiding her thoughts, helping her to remember. It was Esme who had called out to her in sadness, begging for a sign that she was alright. Amelia was willing to bet her Stradivarius violin that the other person in the room was Carlisle.

 _I'm alright Eddie Boy. Holy crumpets and syrup, it burns like... Let me not complete that sentence. I don't want to be the first vampire in history to be scolded by my mother during my change. I'm just going to sit this one out. It seems as though it will hurt less if I keep still and shut my mouth. Yip, I'm just going to do just that. Hi Mom! I love you! Catch you on the flip side,_ Amelia thought to Edward in the hope of consoling her mother. She listened as Edward relayed the message, edited of course, and sent him a wave of gratitude in her thoughts. She then started humming Beethoven's _Symphony Number 6_ in her head in order to distract herself from the pain.

* * *

Amelia's breathing pattern changed and she gasped heavily as the venom finally began to affect her lungs. With each passing moment, Carlisle could hear the air moving through them a little easier. Amelia's breathing became erratic as the venom dissolved the thick, syrupy mucus that clogged them.

"Carlisle, she's going to cough up blood!" Alice's shrill voice broke through the noise just as Amelia began to cough violently. Apparently, there was too much mucus for the venom, and it was making a hasty exit from Amelia's lungs. Amelia's eyes snapped open as Carlisle eased her into a sitting position and placed a bucket in her lap. Sixteen years' worth of now-dissolved mucus literally poured from Amelia's mouth into the bucket. Even Carlisle was surprised by the sheer amount of blood that came up with it, but he soothed his daughter as she choked and retched on it. He heard the air starting to leave her lungs as the venom solidified them. Her heart rate increased as the venom finally began to shut down her heart.

Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, falling back onto the bed with a gasp of pain and waited as the burning intensified. She was sure that her heart was going to explode from the pressure. This took tachycardia to a whole new level. The burning slowly began to cease from her peripheries. Amelia could have cried with relief. Slowly all of the burning faded until her heart began to slow down again. She was dimly aware of someone holding her hand. With a final, deafening thud, her heart beat for the final time. It was over. The transformation was complete. For the first time as a vampire, Amelia opened her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Amelia blinked a couple of times before surveying her surroundings in amazement. She could see the smallest of details with a clarity that almost frightened her. She could count the fibres on the blanket that Esme had covered her with at some point during her transformation, she could see the dust dancing on the windowsill as the sunlight streamed in through the window – it was a beautifully clear day, a rarity for Forks. She sat up slowly, waiting for the faint and dizzy feeling that usually assaulted her when she got up. It never came. Her pulse usually roared in her ears when she did that, but it too never came. She shut her eyes and shook her head. Everything was too loud. She could hear movement downstairs, the chirps of birds in the forest that surrounded the Cullen mansion, the gently sway of the trees as a light breeze moved through them.

She sucked in a breath in order to calm her rising panic but found that the action had no real effect other than improve her sense of smell. She gagged as she took in the smell of something truly awful, something vaguely familiar, something diseased. For the life of her, she could not recall where she had smelt it, but committed it to memory so that she could avoid it in the future. She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her and spun around in panic, jumping off of the bed and running into the corner of the office, backing into it and pulling her knees up to her chest, arms protectively thrown over her head.

"Amelia?" a soft voice called, "it's alright, sweetheart. No one is going to hurt you."

"She's panicking, Carlisle. I can feel it radiating off her in waves. She's terrified and overwhelmed. We'll leave you to it. Come on everyone, let's get out of here," spoke a male voice. It sounded further away than the soft, feminine voice.

"Alright Jasper," replied another voice, closer this time. Panic flooded Amelia's veins again. She could discern thirteen sets of footsteps leaving the house. A variety of car engines turned on as doors were slammed shut. The cars peeled away in a hurry. A lone set of footsteps walked up the steps. They belonged to a female.

"Amelia, everyone is gone. It's just Dad, Blythe and me left. Won't you come out and say hi to us, please?" coaxed Esme. Amelia lifted her head up and glanced warily at Esme. She held her hands up, a sign of surrender. Carlisle stood next to Esme, his hands also raised. Blythe peered around the door and grinned encouragingly at her friend.

"Mommy?" she whispered.

"It's ok," Esme soothed, slowly approaching her daughter and coming to sit next to her. Amelia threw her arms around her mother and cried, a brief panic setting in when no tears fell.

"I suspect you're a little overwhelmed with everything?" Carlisle's statement was more of a question. He was now sitting on the floor near the door. Blythe sat next to him, and stuck her tongue out playfully when she came into Amelia's line of vision. Amelia nodded.

"It's too loud," she stated, wincing at how loud her voice was. Carlisle chuckled at her statement. Esme shot him a glare when Amelia jumped in surprise.

"It's good to see with us again," ventured Carlisle, trying to atone for alarming his daughter.

"What happened? I mean, I know I got changed, but I don't remember much of it. What day of the week is it?" queried Amelia.

"It's Monday afternoon, just after 1pm. You were out for almost four days," stated Blythe.

"I thought the change took three days?"

"Usually it does, yours just took a little longer. We think it was because you were so ill. You slipped into a coma on Thursday evening when your carbon dioxide levels were too high for your body to handle. What is the last thing you remember?"

"You took me to see where Bree died. I lay in the sun for a while. Then you took me home for physio. It's a blur after that. If I was in a coma, it explains what I saw then."

"What did you see?" probed Esme, itching for answers in light of daughter's ramblings before she slipped into the coma.

"More like 'who'. I saw my parents and Bree. They helped me when I was panicking because I couldn't get back to you. It was dark, but then I saw them and they told me that they would always be in here," she put her hand on her chest above her heart, "and that they will always watch over me. They saw everything that happened, and they were always there. Even when I thought they were gone, even when I thought I was alone and had no one and would cry for them, they were always there. They will always love me, but they chased me back here because you all were waiting for me."

"I'm glad they chased you back," stated Esme, her voice thick with emotion. She held Amelia close to her, relieved that her daughter was at last one of them. She did not have to worry about her youngest daughter dying anymore.

"Me too," grinned Amelia, "but I have to ask, what is that revolting smell?"

Carlisle chuckled again and pointed at the bucket in the corner. "Your lungs were a bit too full of mucus so you coughed most of it up about ten minutes before you properly woke up."

"You know your lungs sucked when even venom could not cope with the onslaught of mucus," giggled Amelia.

"Something like that," agreed Blythe, "you coughed up a lot of blood as well. Speaking of, is the smell bothering you? You seem quite controlled."

"Oh is that what the smell is? Yuck. Uh it is not that bad. My throat is a little dry now that you mention it, but nothing unmanageable. It's like being hungry but not starving in that you need to eat within the next few minutes."

"Amazing," murmured Carlisle. He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully, then addressed Blythe, "do you think her gift is starting to work already?"

"It would make sense," she commented, "you and Esme are the only two to have come into contact with Amelia during her change. It makes sense that her gift would start to work as soon as the venom entered her system. Eleazar did say that her gift would manifest early on."

"I'm still here," Amelia whispered, "please don't do a Richard Westsmythe on me, guys. You don't need to protect me."

"Sorry Amelia," apologise Carlisle.

"Eleazar was once a part of the Volturi. His gift was neither offensive nor defensive, but it was useful. He can tell if someone has a gift. The Volturi kept him because he could tell Aro if a human that they were going to kill might have a useful gift and it would give him reason to keep them for the Guard," explained Esme.

"I assume then that Eleazar discovered that I have a gift?" Amelia questioned.

"Yes he did. Remember how he stared at you in the cafeteria on your birthday?" Amelia grimaced but nodded, the cloudy human memory a little too fresh in her mind for her liking, "he told us that night that you have a very powerful talent."

"We voted on it, and decided that it was best not to tell you. Renesmee does not know either. You didn't need that kind of pressure on you, not when you were rethinking your future as a vampire. We wanted you to decide your future by yourself. Your gift might have made you decide to become a vampire even if it was something you really did not want to do."

"I understand," commented Amelia. Her mind was reeling. She had a powerful gift? It did not make sense to her. She had been a measly and weak human, and right now, she wasn't feeling too peachy either. Her body still felt weak and her transformation had sapped the few vestiges of energy that she had had prior to her change. She took a breath and continued, "so what does this entail?"

"Eleazar is probably the best person to explain it to you, hence we asked the Denalis to come. In a nutshell, you are what is best described as a magnet," Carlisle explained.

"Please don't tell me I'm attracted to all things of a ferrous nature. That would be problematic," Amelia groaned, imagining herself as a giant horseshoe-shaped red magnet getting stuck to the refrigerator door. The three vampires before her burst into laughter. Even Amelia joined in, the notion was rather ridiculous.

"Definitely not," broke in Blythe, "what Carlisle is trying to say is that, with the touch of a hand, you have the ability to attract other vampires' gifts and harness them for yourself. All you will have to do is touch me, and you will gain my ability to heal. That is why Carlisle is wondering why you are so controlled. We think your gift started to work almost immediately after the venom entered your body. As the only two people who have touched you thus far are Carlisle and Esme, I reckon you're already feeling the effects of Carlisle's borderline immunity to the scent of human blood."

"Wait, I'm able to basically absorb anyone's power?"

"Yes. We are unsure at present just how long you can maintain the power. Some Magnets only hold a borrowed power, for lack of a better term, for a short period of time. Some are only hours or days, others can maintain it for weeks or months. Eleazar is here to show you how to manage the powers that you attract. Bella's shield, for example, requires focus and effort to work. Kate's will also require careful training," spoke Carlisle, his eyes glinting at the thought of what he could learn from Amelia.

"The Denalis are here?"

"Yes. So are Alair and Samantha," smiled Carlisle, seeing his daughter's face brighten up.

"The townsfolk believe that you have perished. We requested to be left alone in order to deal with your 'death'," giggled Esme, "I've already had people wanting to bring over cooked meals to help us in this time of mourning."

"Technically, I am dead I suppose," smiled Amelia, "is it normal to feel like you've been hit by a sixteen wheeler after the change?"

Carlisle frowned and exchanged a glance with Blythe. "I think we should take you hunting, Amelia, and get your strength up."

"So no, it's not normal," Amelia reached the conclusion and sighed softly, "defective as a mortal, defective as an immortal."

"That is not true, Amelia Grace Theodore-Cullen, and you know it," Esme's voice was fierce as she held her arms tightly around her daughter, "don't you ever think like that."

"We'll figure this out together," promised Carlisle. He was more worried than he let on. Amelia was nowhere near as strong as a newborn should be, that he had already deduced. As for her speed, he noticed that she was slower than she should be. It could also be that she was deliberately holding it in because she knew of the destruction a newborn could cause – Jasper had explained everything she had needed to know one day as he told her his life story as a confederate soldier, and later leader of a newborn army. She'd had nightmares of him dying for two nights thereafter, and had refused to let him out of her sight for a week, before Emmett convinced her that her older brother really needed to hunt.

Only time would tell what the future held for his youngest daughter. Esme was so afraid of losing her when she was human, but now it seemed that he was the one who was afraid of losing her as a vampire. She was too fragile. Even Esme and Bella, who had such severe injuries, were stronger than this. Putting his concerns aside, he smiled tenderly at Amelia and held out his hand, pulling her up to her feet.

"Let's hunt."


	3. Chapter 3

"You want me to do what?" Amelia's voice was incredulous as she surveyed the three story drop to the ground. The clouds had set in again, covering the sun.

"Jump out of the window," replied Carlisle, "it'll be good practice for you."

"Remind me why I can't use the front door?"

"No reason, just that jumping will give us an indication of your strength at present."

"We just determined that something is not right with me. And now you want to test that theory how exactly? By seeing if I shatter into a thousand pieces when I land? Lose a limb? Thanks Dad," Amelia's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Inwardly, Carlisle was smiling. The little girl with the quick tongue was in there somewhere. He just had to coax her out.

"When you put it that way," Carlisle trailed off, scratching his chin. Amelia glared at him and left the room. He heard her stomping down the stairs. The three of them hurried after her and soon enough were in the thick of the forest. Amelia was definitely slower than she should be. Her crimson eyes took in her surroundings as she focused on the sounds of the forest, the bubbling of a creek nearby, a herd of deer to the north, a bobcat to the east somewhere, and something that smelt absolutely terrible to the west. She grimaced, but was surprised when Carlisle suddenly held her in a crushing, vice-like grip.

"I'm so sorry," he apologised profusely, "there is a bleeding human about five miles to the west. I should have checked with Alice first."

"Is that what that smell is? Ew. It smells hideous," she complained. Esme and Blythe looked at her in shock. Behind her, Carlisle stiffened.

"I'm going to let go of one of your arms. Point in the direction of the smell please," he said warily, releasing her left arm. Slowly and deliberately, Amelia pointed in the direction of the wounded human, before lowering it and slipping her hand into Esme's.

"What is going on?" queried Blythe mildly, glancing at Carlisle for answers.

"I'm not sure. Esme, why don't you take Amelia towards the deer?"

As soon as the pair were out of earshot, he spoke. "I really don't know what is going on, Blythe. I will have to consult Eleazar."

"But Carlisle, you saw how she responded to the blood in your study. It's almost like the scent is repelling her."

"There was blood mixed into the mucus, not mucus mixed into the blood. The smell of diseased bodily secretions is off-putting to me as well."

"Even I could not help but notice the scent of blood, as less prominent as it was. Amelia did not react at all, if anything, she seemed to be repelled by the scent. Her control makes you look savage! Something is unusual here. She is too weak, too slow. She's like a centuries-old vampire who has not hunted in months. But her control indicates something the complete opposite. Carlisle, we don't know what we are dealing with here, but we had better figure it out soon. I have a bad feeling about this."

"I think we need to speak to other magnets like Amelia."

"The few I know of reside in Volterra. Aro recruited them centuries ago and they are honoured members of the Guard, outranked only by the Evil Twins," stated Eleazar, coming up behind them.

"Alice?" questioned Carlisle, curious as to why his friend was suddenly around.

"Of course."

"So what, we go to Italy now?" asked Blythe incredulously, "surely not!"

"Let's not be so hasty," amended Eleazar, "let's at least ask Tanya and Kate, they have been around for a thousand years apiece. Collectively, there are sixteen vampires with more than three thousand years of experience. We have other friends as well with whom we can consult. We can certainly gain some additional knowledge somehow."

"I agree."

"Agree with what?" asked Esme, coming into earshot. The trio heard Amelia giggling about something as they approached. They came into view and Carlisle could not help but smile at his daughter. Amelia was covered in mud. She had streaks of blood over her t-shirt and twigs in her hair.

"Fight with a bob cat?" he asked.

"Stupid stag," Amelia muttered under her breath, glaring at the ground in mock annoyance.

"She got into a fight with a stag while trying to drink from a doe," explained Esme. She exchanged glances with Amelia and the pair dissolved into giggles again.

"It's not even autumn! Mating season is months away!" added Amelia when they had recovered, "I must look dreadful. I could do with a shower."

"From the garden hosepipe, yes," interjected Esme.

"Can't I run through the sprinkler like I did as a kid?" Amelia jokingly pouted at her mom.

"You're sixteen years old, not two and a half. Please act your age," reprimanded Esme, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation, "I swear Emmett is rubbing off on you."

* * *

"Sammy!" was the only warning call that Samantha was given before Amelia barrelled into her arms, hugging her tightly. Esme had remained true to her word and hosed Amelia down before tossing a handful of towels at her. The newborn vampire had willingly escaped to the shower before joining the others.

"Hello Mia-bug," the tall blonde vampire grinned at her favourite patient, "it's so good to see you again."

"Likewise. It has been too long,"

"It has. Dr Anderson sends her condolences on your passing," she grinned, her golden eyes dancing with mirth, "I had to convince her not to board a plane to attend your funeral."

"Thank you," Amelia chuckled.

"And where is _my_ hug?" a familiar sassy voice broke the tender moment.

"Hey Alair," greeted Amelia, hugging her other favourite nurse.

"You look good, sweets," complimented the dark-skinned nurse, "Being a vamp really looks awesome on you."

"Even the red eyes?" quipped Amelia, arching an eyebrow.

"That could do with some improvement, yes," amended Alair, poking her tongue out at Amelia. The pair laughed before Amelia was pulled into Emmett's arms.

"Squirt is back!" he boomed loudly, causing Amelia to grimace slightly.

"Must you bellow so, big guy?"

"My little sister is awake, alive and kicking. Well, dead and kicking. Ready for an arm wrestle?"

A resounding exclamation of "Emmett!" was heard. Rosalie smacked his head, before hugging Amelia as well. She was then passed to Carmen, Tanya and Garret.

"Stop!" called Eleazar as Amelia went to hug Alice. Amelia halted, panic written across her features.

"What is the matter?" asked Esme in confusion.

"Sorry Amelia, I did not mean to startle you. I think it best that Amelia not hug any more of the gifted family members here today," explained Garret.

"In case I absorb their powers?" queried Amelia.

"Yes. Carlisle and I think it is best if you learn how to control your ability first, get you to a state where you can touch someone without absorbing their power."

"We do not know how draining it might be on your body. We'd hate for something to happen to you," Carlisle broke in.

"But you and Blythe determined that I have attracted your self-control and Mom's compassion."

"We disagree with our earlier hypothesis. You'd be breaking the walls if you had Emmett's strength. I was wrong. It does not explain why you are so controlled around human blood and why the scent repels you, but I do agree that we should play it safe until we have more answers."

"Alright then," Amelia agreed, "Alair, Samantha, please don't tell me that I stripped you of your powers entirely?"

Samantha looked thoughtful and shut her eyes, envisioning herself as the human Samantha that Carlisle, Esme and Amelia were familiar with. Before their eyes, she changed. Her hair became a paler shade of blonde and when her eyes opened, they were a rich hazel. Her scent changed, and a rhythmic thudding could be heard. She even smelled human again. She grinned at Amelia, before shutting her eyes and turning back to normal.

"I guess not then," commented Amelia.

"That was awesome!" squealed Renesmee. Samantha smiled tenderly at the small girl.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Carlisle, Eleazar, no," groaned Edward. Sixteen pairs of eyes stared at him curiously.

"What's the harm in trying?" argued Carlisle.

"No harm will be done, Edward," broke in Alice.

"Ok, will someone please explain what is going on?" asked Emmett.

"Absolutely not!" broke in Amelia, having figured out exactly what her father and her uncle had in mind.

"Amelia?" asked Esme, "what is it?"

"Dad and Eleazar want Sammy to keep up her human disguise to help me adapt to the smell of humans so that the transition into human society will be easier and sooner rather than later."

"Not a bad idea," commented Samantha, "I am more than willing to help out."

"What if I can't control myself?" demanded Amelia, fear written across her face, "I've heard how volatile newborns can be. What if I hurt you, Sammy?"

"I may smell like a human but blood does not run through my veins. You cannot hurt me, Mia bug. I think it is a good idea. Besides, little birdie told me that you think human blood smells pretty awful. How did I smell as a human?"

"Not like a vampire, that is for sure," joked Amelia, "but different. Not as unpleasant as human blood, but not so fantastic either. Your scent really changed."

"You should have smelled yourself when you were human," called Kate, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Let me guess, sweaty and decayed?"

"Only towards the end from what I have been told. You smelled salty for the most part."

"That's because I had too much sodium in my body – effect of my disease."

"You smelled like lavender, you still do. But the salt was overpowering – sort of like lavender bath salts? But yes, you did start to smell decayed towards the end. It was subtle, but gradually worsened after you had your PEG removed," stated Esme softly.

"Why did no one tell me? I could have applied deodorant more liberally and bathed more frequently. Oh hey Jemima," replied Amelia, bending down to pick up the Scottie who had bounded into the room enthusiastically.

"No amount of scent enhancers would have made any difference. Your body was shutting down from the inside. It was not unbearable, but it was there and it gave us an indication of how sick you were getting," explained Carlisle. Amelia looked up at him as she sat down with the dog in her lap.

"On to other matters, why is she so different from everyone else of our kind?" broke in Edward.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Amelia.

"We have no answers as of yet," stated Carlisle, "although all of the magnets that we know of are part of the Guard."

"You want to go to Volterra?" exclaimed Rosalie in horror, "have you completely lost your mind?"

"Well, has anyone ever encountered a magnet before?" he asked. Dead silence greeted him, "I thought as much. If we cannot find answers, we will need to consult with them. We do not know what we are dealing with, and I'm not going to risk Amelia's life in the quest for answers."

"It's a death sentence as it is to go to the Volturi!" bellowed Emmett. Half of the vampires present jumped in surprise. Jemima barked at him.

"We can ask Benjamin and Tia," Alice stated thoughtfully.

"What about Liam, Siobhan and Maggie?" quipped Edward.

"Peter and Charlotte may have encountered a magnet," broke in Jasper.

"What about asking the Amazonians?" queried Garret.

"The Romanians? They can provide protection from Aro as well if it comes to it," suggested Bella.

"Leopold," whispered Blythe. There was silence and more than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to look at the healer, who appeared to have fallen into a trance.

"Who is Leopold?" asked Emmett.

"He was the vampire who changed her. He is a nomad," murmured Amelia, "she saw him only a few months ago when she returned to England before coming back here. She spied him outside the graveyard where her parents are buried."

"Blythe, was he gifted at all?" Carlisle asked gently.

The vampire in question snapped out of her trance and locked eyes with the Cullen patriarch. "Yes. I cannot say exactly what his talent was but he was powerful. He was also very old, older than Kate and Tanya are."

"How old is 'older than Kate and Tanya'?" queried Carmen.

"The name _Leopold_ originates in about 400 AD," suggested Amelia, "I would imagine that he is no older than that, unless he changed his name."

"Leopold is the name he gave himself to fit in with 19th century Europe. His real name was Flavius Tertius Cornelius. Ever heard of the phrase _alea iacta est_?" said Blythe, a smile playing on her lips.

" _Thus the die is cast_. Julius Caesar uttered those words in 49BC when he crossed the Rubicon River and ignited Civil War in Rome, annihilating his enemies in the process. Ultimately, it led to his inauguration as a dictator and consul of Rome," Amelia's voice was quiet as she recalled that information from a history textbook that she had once read.

"Guess who was part of _Legio XIII_?"

"No way! Leopold was part of the legion that crossed the Rubicon?" Amelia's voice was incredulous. She loved ancient history.

"Yes he was," Blythe's voice held a sense of nostalgia, "his gift was queer. He could rob people of their senses, much like Alec of the Volturi can. But unlike Alec, he could rob a vampire of their gifts as well. He took mine away from me, but returned it later. That is why I would not know if he is magnet because Amelia appears to duplicate someone else's gift and retain it, rather than removing it completely from someone. Leopold was sought after by Aro but he has evaded him for many years and I suspect Aro has grown weary of searching for him."

"Do you feel comfortable enough to look for him? Or at the very least, allow us to look for him?" asked Carlisle softly.

"If it helps Amelia, yes. But don't expect a big sappy reunion. I have forgiven him, but we will never be lovers like we were before he changed me. I had to leave my mother alone and poverty-stricken because of him. It remains unforgiveable in my books. Plus he is not an animal-drinker."

Carlisle nodded his head, taking in the fear on Amelia's face. "Jasper, Alice, Garret and Tanya, let's get word out to our contacts."

"Mia, why don't you take a rest?" suggested Edward, hearing her stress in her thoughts.

"I will head upstairs to my bedroom now. There is a human outside and I'm meant to be dead. Heavens above, you'd think the humans would learn how to use deodorant," stated Amelia, her voice devoid of expression. The family immediately fell silent.

"Get her out of the house," commanded Carlisle.

"She's alright Carlisle. Besides, we cannot escape at present because the sun is out again. Mia, let's go sort out your room," quipped Alice, leading Amelia out of the room. Emmett, Blythe and Jasper followed them to be safe. Immediately, the rest of the family jumped into action and shut the blinds on the northwest side of the house, which was bathed in sunlight. They were barely upstairs when the doorbell rang. Amelia could hear Samantha, in her human disguise, answering it and welcoming the person, no - people, inside. Jasper felt her pain as she recognised Daniella and her parents coming to pay their respects to her 'grieving' parents. Alice directed her to the library and shut the door behind them. Amelia understood why a few minutes later.

"Mia wanted you to have something of hers," stated Rosalie, leading Daniella up the stairs, towards Amelia's room.

"Really? Gosh that is so kind of her," Daniella's voice was full of emotion as they walked past the library door, "I miss her so much."

"We do too, but she is not in any pain anymore and for that, we are grateful. It was quick and largely pain-free. She slipped into a coma and died a couple of hours later. None of us have the energy to clear out her room just yet. We will probably tackle it just before we move."

"You're moving away?"

"Yes. There are too many painful memories here. The rest of us are away for most of the year at university as well. It makes sense. We will probably leave towards the end of the year. I think our dad just wants to wrap up a few things at work. Here you go."

"Thanks Rose. This is so cute," stated Daniella. Amelia could hear the tears rolling down her cheeks as she held the stuffed toys in her hands, along with some letters to give to Narcisse and Amy as well, "does Blythe know?"

"Yes she does. She is unfortunately unable to fly out."

"She is always with you, don't ever forget that," said Rosalie, enfolding the human girl in a hug. The pair left the room and walked downstairs. As soon as it was safe, Amelia darted out of the library and ran into her room. She picked up one of the picture frames on her desk and studied it closely. It was one of her, Daniella, Narcisse, Amy and Blythe, taken on the evening of the music concert, just hours before Amelia had been hospitalised with pneumonia and a collapsed, bloody lung. They were grinning widely for the camera. With what could only be described as a cry of despair, Amelia dissolved into dry sobs, her non-beating heart breaking for the friends whom she had left behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Esme grimaced as she heard Amelia's cry of despair. Beside her, Carlisle stiffened. Amelia's cry was too quiet for the Westsmythes to hear, and they continued to chat to the Cullens as though nothing was amiss.

"Esme, Carlisle, please keep the Westsmythes occupied. Amelia is going to jump out the window and run into the forest in about ten seconds," Alice spoke from the library. They heard Amelia's frantic pacing, before she walked over to the window and opened it up. The Westsmythes were admiring the view of the garden from the lounge, and if Amelia jumped out of the window, she could be seen running towards the forest. The sun had long gone, so the curtains had been opened up. The family downstairs wondered how to draw their attention away from the windows. In the end, an unlikely solution presented itself.

Jemima sauntered into the room and sat in front of Daniella, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. She yapped softly, before edging forward and looking at the visitors expectantly. That dog really knew how to turn on the charm and she was oozing it from every pore of her being. Esme understood in that moment exactly why the Theodores had gotten Jemima for their two year old daughter.

"Oh hello you cutie pie," gushed Caroline, picking up the Scottie, who licked her face affectionately, "Rich, take a look at Jemima."

The Westsmythes' attention was on the dog as they walked back to the sofa, just as the vampires heard a soft thud as Amelia landed on the grass outside her window and took off, streaking into the forest.

"We're going to go for a quick walk," spoke Rosalie, gesturing to her and Emmett as they descended the stairs dressed in appropriate attire for a walk through the forest.

"Be careful, and please be back before dark," said Carlisle. They left, whispering promises of keeping an eye on Amelia while she cooled off. It would be irresponsible to leave Amelia unaccompanied while she was so young and volatile. Humans may smell unpleasant to her, but they had no way of knowing how long that would last for.

Blythe could be heard dropping from the library window and shimmying down a tree. A ripping sound was heard as she completed the ungraceful task of sliding the equivalent of two storeys down the old oak tree that overlooked the library. A disgruntled squirrel squealed angrily at Blythe as she brought a dozen acorns down with her.

"Blythe you have absolutely no regard for fashion!" shrieked Alice, appalled at the massive tear down the front of Blythe's shirt as she stuck her head of her bedroom window and threw a new one to Blythe.

"And just how was I supposed to get out of the house, oh psychic one? Via the front door, past people who think I am in Germany?" she hissed, irked. She glared at the squirrel, "shut up, you stupid rodent! There are plenty of acorns in the tree. Stop acting like I destroyed your food supply!"

"An hours-old vampire discovered that she could jump out of the window. You are nearly 200 years old, with several degrees, most of which are medical in nature, and you decide that instead of jumping out of the window, you'll get up close and personal with the tree trunk of an oak tree?"

"Hush, Mary Alice. This fine specimen of a tree is older than you. Do not insult its abilities," she retorted, throwing the ripped blouse back up to Alice and smoothing the new one in place. She turned her heel and ran into the forest before Alice could reply.

* * *

Amelia continued to run until she was deep in the forest. She paused, and took in her surroundings - a herd of deer to the south, their hearts beating in a staccato rhythm; birds chirping to one another. She heard flowing water somewhere northwest, and took a deep breath. Several scents assaulted her, but her throat did not burn with thirst when she smelled the herbivores and the lone carnivore a few miles out. She took another deep breath, trying to clear her mind, and took off towards the body of water. She presently found herself at a waterfall, and an overwhelming sense of _déjà vu_ overtook her. She had been here before.

She shifted through her cloudy human memories until she located the correct one. It was from a dream that she had had, after she had been discharged from hospital after her pneumonia infection over her birthday. She had sat down with her father that evening to chat a bit about her future as a vampire. In her dream, she had stood here, and watched her family and the Quileute pack scatter what appeared to be dirt from an urn and then be eaten by a giant squid. In hindsight, she realised that it was her ashes that her family was scattering. In Alice's vision, Amelia had died when her body had finally shut down when the disease became too much for her to bear.

She took another unnecessary deep breath and plopped down on the edge of the cliff. Her mind was in turmoil, trying to accept what was happening. She needed her space, and was grateful for her family allowing her some time alone. She suspected someone would come after her soon enough. It nearly broke her heart to think of all the people whom she was leaving behind – her friends at school, Daniella, Narcisse and Amy; her friends from the orchestra. Ariané and Simon knew the truth, but Peter, Valerie and the others did not. Her godfather had lost his dearest goddaughter no sooner than he had gotten her back. She worried about him, knowing that he still carried the weight of her father's death on his shoulders in spite of her constant reassurances. She had written him a letter to be mailed to him upon her 'death'. Alice had sent it to him only that morning, along with letters to the rest of the orchestra who knew her mother, as well as one to Valerie. Her letters to Simon and Ariané were different, and she left with the promise of meeting them one day again. They were both so special to her, and she was grateful that their Haitian upbringing had educated them on the immortals in the world, so that she could keep in touch.

She sighed softly to herself as she relived the pain that tore through her when she heard Daniella walk past her hiding spot, hearing her friend's voice filled with sadness, and wanting only to comfort her. If Daniella was anything to go by, she'd hate to see what Peter would go through. Yes, she was definitely worried about Peter. Rosalie had phoned Simon to tell him as well, and Alice had foreseen him telling the orchestra during their usual Monday evening rehearsal – Valerie crying with Cassandra and Sasha, Peter simply walking away and breaking down in private, Simon and Ariané exchanging knowing glances before walking after him to comfort him. The letter she had written him was simple, but she hoped it would give him closure for the deaths of all three of the Theodores.

 _Dear Peter,_

 _If you are reading this, it means that I have passed away. In some ways, I welcome the end – I am tired of the pain, of not even being afforded the luxury of drawing in breath, but in other ways I am saddened that my life is over. There were so many things I would still like to do, places I would have liked to see, but not everything goes according to plan. If life were that simple, you would probably be trying to convince me to play the double bass while Mom and Dad drink coffee in the kitchen, just like old times. I'd probably have made you watch '101 Dalmations' a hundred times over, and later, perhaps we'd have watched the Harry Potter series. You'd no doubt have introduced me to Star Wars, and we could have argued over Lord of the Rings. Life does not go according to plan, and while it has not been easy, it has shaped me and made me the person I am today._

 _I know you still carry the weight of my dad's death on your shoulders, and I want you to know, again, that I will never blame you for it. You cared enough for him to let him be free from a life of suffering, if he had survived at all. It was the kindest thing you could have done for him. Even although you did not get custody of me like you should have, it took me on a journey that ultimately led me back to you. For that, I will be forever grateful. My last few months were the very best I could have ever wished for. Performing at Mom's concert was the best night of my life. Thank you for allowing me to be part of it._

 _I know this is not easy, but please try to move on. You deserve to be happy, Peter. Allow yourself that happiness. You did what was right. Reality is that Dad would never have been able to take care of me, and I'd have been put in the foster care system anyway. Things would have been no different, and eventually I would have been informed as to when Dad finally did pass away. I know you are upset with me for making everyone watch me suffer, but what other choice do I have? This disease has shown its true colours in the past few years. I am grateful that this battle is almost over. It won't be long now. Carlisle estimates that I have six weeks at most. That takes us to the middle of June. Summer always was my favourite time of the year, even if I hated the sun. My new life will be devoid of physical pain, and I will embrace it with open arms when it arrives._

 _"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Find those moments, Peter. I will always be with you, watching from a distance, wishing that I could hug you and say hello._

 _I love you to the moon and back, Uncle P._

 _All my love,_

 _Amelia Grace Theodore._

* * *

"Amelia!" called Rosalie, growing frantic. The sun was setting, and Amelia was nowhere to be found.

"Mia!" called Emmett, about a mile away from Rosalie. He too was hunting for his baby sister. Alice had obviously seen that they could not find her, as the rest of the family arrived. Renesmee was with Charlie, safely at the cottage, while Bella and Edward joined the hunt as well.

"I can't hear her thoughts at all! She must have gone far out!" Edward exclaimed.

"Carlisle," stated Eleazar softly, his mind suddenly drawing a new conclusion.

"No!" bellowed Edward, "she had not been taken by the Guard! Alice!"

"No, she has not. She'll be around somewhere. Has the pack been called?" called Alice, frustrated with the blind spots in her vision. Amelia had disappeared from her visions, and the shifter pack was not helping her.

"They are on their way," spoke Bella, "Jacob was with us when you called, and he alerted the others. They should be here any moment."

"Where are Carmen and Esme?" interjected Tanya.

"At the house. She doesn't know yet, so Carmen is keeping her occupied," said Jasper.

"Right behind you, actually," muttered Esme, joining the others and glaring at Carlisle as they broke up into pairs and started to scour the area for signs of Amelia, "stop sheltering me from these things, Carlisle. She's my daughter too. I can help."

"I didn't want to upset you," replied Carlisle, taking her hand as they ran through the forest. Behind them, a thud of paws resounded as multiple howls echoed through the forest. A russet-coloured shot past them. The shape shifters were their natural enemies, and as a result, could run faster than them. Seth and Leah in their wolf form also streaked past them, following Jacob. Unlike Jacob, they took a sharp left and sprinted through the dense forest.

"I wonder where she could have gone," spoke Esme, her anger at Carlisle having dissipated as fear started to gnaw away at her. They continued to run, looking for a scent. They picked one up but it was hours old. About ten minutes later, they heard Blythe and Samantha shouting loudly and Leah and Seth howling in unison. The pack replied and everyone followed the noises until they arrived at the clearing where the battle with the newborn army had occurred nearly two years ago.

"She's by the cliff," spoke Carmen.

"She has a new talent," Eleazar spoke carefully, as he led the anxious parents over to the cliff where Alice had seen them scatter Amelia's ashes. Leah, in her human form, turned around to smile at them. Blythe and Samantha nodded, before retreating to the others, satisfied that the situation could be brought under control. Out in the clearing, Jasper and Alice had arrived, and Jasper too moved forward to the cliff.

"I don't see her," stated Carlisle dumbly, after assessing his surroundings for his daughter. Her scent was there, but it was weak, almost like it was days old.

"Look at Seth," quipped Leah. The shape shifter in question was the picture of ease. In that moment, he honestly looked like a giant puppy, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he panted softly. To Carlisle and Esme's surprise, his fur began to smooth out in a rhythmic pattern, almost as though someone were stroking him. But they could not see anyone. Suddenly, it stopped and both Seth and Leah appeared to be watching someone walk up to Carlisle and Esme. Esme felt herself being engulfed in a hug, but could not see the person who was hugging her. A soft kiss was placed on her cheek, before Carlisle's expression told Esme that he was undergoing the same experience.

"Amelia seems to have gained invisibility," spoke Eleazar.

"Are you sure it's her?" queried Carlisle in disbelief, "I can't see her."

"Seth and I can," explained Leah, "we can hear her too. She hasn't, and I quote, 'got the foggiest clue how to make myself 'uninvisible' again,'."

"My squirt has invisibility skills? What a badass!" whooped Emmett, bounding over to the cliff in excitement.

"Language, Emmett!" chided Esme, giggling at the expression on his face when he staggered backwards. Seth and Leah were howling with laughter as Amelia threw herself at him and launched a tickle attack on her middle brother, revenge for the many nights of tickle attacks that he had bestowed on her.

"Amazing," breathed Carlisle, "her scent is gone as well. I wonder how this happened."

"Her past perhaps?" suggested Eleazar, "perhaps her desire to be invisible when she was being abused has manifested as invisibility. Leah says that she has not encountered anyone while she was out of the house."

"I attributed her gift of magnetism and duplication to her all-rounded nature – her natural affinity for music, her intelligence and academic prowess. I reckon she would have been quite the athlete had she not been so ill," spoke Carlisle.

"But the ability to develop a power at will is quite different to magnetism."

"Perhaps she encountered someone with the gift of invisibility while she was still a human?" mused Carlisle.

"But she has spent significantly more time in contact with Alice, and shows no sign of clairvoyance. She also shows no shielding abilities, no mind-reading or empathic capabilities either. She is not a healer, at least not up to Blythe's ability, neither does she had my gift or Renesmee's. Amelia, you are one talented young lady. You will also be the death of me," admonished Eleazar playfully.

"She's laughing at you, and sticking her tongue out. She says that you're just jealous because you're not as cool as she is," said Leah. Eleazar jumped when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Leah and Seth roared with laughter.

"Amelia, that was not very nice," chided Esme as she laughed as well. The look on Eleazar's face was priceless.

"Hey guys, why don't we take this back to the house?" they heard Jacob call, "I'm starving!"

The vampires burst into laughter. There was a rumble of agreement amongst the wolves. Esme's eyes lit up at the thought of cooking for the pack.

"Call your imprints and the elders, we are going to celebrate!" trilled Alice. Seth suddenly got up and streaked away. In a graceful leap, Leah turned into a shifter and gave chase. The rest of the pack followed.

"Amelia and Seth are racing each other to the house," called Edward, laughing at Seth, who was leading the race, "the whole pack has overtaken her, aside from Leah, who's just keeping pace. Oh, Seth has turned back and he's trying to convince Amelia to accept a piggyback from him. Leah's just head-butted him."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Many thanks to my friend, Chantal, for her input on this chapter. What do you think of Amelia's new gift? Too much, or too cool?**

 **I have received a few queries regarding Amelia's future mate. There will probably be one in the future, but it will not be for a while. She's only 16 years old, been a vampire for a few hours and is simply not ready for that kind of commitment just yet. She needs to heal, and adapt to her new life as a vampire, and an unusual one at that. If you have any ideas for her future mate, please feel free to drop me a line, I will consider all of the ideas and credit will be given where credit is due. Seth and Amelia will not be imprints, nor will Steven Smith be her mate.**

 **A few ideas have been proposed - someone who is also dying of CF, a nomad who changes his/her human-drinking ways for Amelia [yes, I am open to the idea of Amelia batting for the other team, because why not :)], even a member of the Volturi Guard (Alec is winning, but I always liked Felix more. Marcus? Meh, little too old. He's still mourning for his mate).**

 **I have almost finished uploading all of the chapters that I have written thus far, so updates will slow down. I also have six weeks left of my degree and I'd really like to pass, so please bear with me. I'm also struggling to move the story along, so I now have a beta reader, NightsBlackRose13, who will be 'beta-ing' from Chapter 8 onwards, when I finally get down to writing it. Kindle dear, good luck.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Amelia, where are you?" called Esme, exasperated. She would be the first to admit that her daughter had a brilliant gift, but not knowing where said daughter was, was not such a happy feeling.

"She's coming up behind you," called Seth, pulling a t-shirt on as he trotted out of the forest, Leah in tow. Esme felt a hand encircle hers as Amelia slipped hers into her mother's. Carlisle, who was walking next to his wife, stretched his hand out and smiled softly when he felt his daughter slip hers into his own. They continued their walk across the expansive lawn and entered the house.

"I think we need one of the wolves to stick with Amelia until we figure out how to get her back into a visible form," suggested Eleazar, "at least we will know where she is."

"My little squirt went from being the noisiest in the house to the most silent! You, my good lady, are going to be an excellent pranking buddy," exclaimed Emmett, holding out his arms for Amelia to hug him. He pouted when she didn't come forward, and looked rather silly with his arms extended. Seth and Quil started laughing at him. Amelia was nonchalantly sitting on the couch behind him, shaking her head in amusement.

"Are you so sure about Amelia being the loudest? Because I am quite sure that you and Rosalie rival _everyone_ ," quipped Bella. Emmett blinked.

"I would not do that, Amelia," whispered Alice, who had entered the house with Edward in tow. Edward laughed.

"Let her. I'd love to see his reaction," he countered.

 _Maybe later, when we know how to get her into and out of her invisible state and Esme is less stressed. Poor Amelia will be in for it later,_ thought Alice to Edward.

 _Yo Eddie Boy, can ya hear me?_ Thought Amelia, deciding to go all gangster on her brother simply to annoy him.

"Yes Amelia, I can hear you. Which means that I know you are on the couch," he stated. The fabric rustled as Amelia made a hasty escape from the couch just as Emmett turned around to launch a tickle attack on her. The look on Emmett's face was priceless when he figured out that Amelia was not on the couch anymore. He eventually gave up and stomped out of the lounge, sulking as he did.

"Where are you, Amelia?" asked Esme again.

"She's sitting on the barstool at the kitchen counter," replied Seth, grinning at what appeared to be nothing. He then high fived the air.

"Seth, Amelia, could you please come to the study with us?" asked Carlisle, walking into the kitchen. He was anxious to get Amelia back to a visible state. Seth followed him, and Amelia bounded past them, eager to get to the study before the others. Fortunately for her, Carlisle, Eleazar and Seth were walking at a human pace. When he entered the study, Carlisle shook his head in mock disdain. His daughter had taken up residence on his office chair and was spinning round and round on it. It looked rather bizarre to see a seemingly empty chair spinning around in circles.

"Amelia, what happened that made you become invisible?" asked Eleazar. There was clearly a reason for her invisibility, but they did not yet know what it was.

"Nothing she can think of," spoke Seth.

"Why did you run to the waterfall?" asked Carlisle.

"I just ran until I found it. I just needed time to think. I recognised it though, I saw it in a dream," said Amelia. Seth translated for her.

"What dream was that?"

"When I got out of hospital after that blood vessel rupture. All of you were standing by the cliff, the pack included. You looked so sad. Then you and Mom opened up some sort of pot and tossed dirt over the cliff. Then a rainbow came out and it looked so peaceful," she continued.

"It's the same vision that Alice had of us scattering Amelia's ashes," called Edward.

"You were then eaten by a giant squid," she concluded. Carlisle blinked stupidly, but recalled his daughter telling him about the dream, well, just the conclusion.

"What were you thinking at the time you disappeared?" queried Eleazar.

"Honestly, I don't know. I was not aware that I was invisible until I heard everyone looking for me. I kept yelling out to Rosalie and Emmett but now I know that no one can hear me except the wolves. So I decided to wait where I was until someone found me – Seth and Leah figured it out. That is what Mom always says. If I get separated from you, I must just stay where I am until you find me. It seemed logical at the time. I'm sorry for the worry I caused you all."

"It's alright, sweetheart. I'm glad you stayed where you were," Carlisle reassured her, "but do you remember anything at all?"

"I was thinking about Daniella, Narcisse and Amy. I was also thinking about Peter, and how he will cope without me. He carries the weight of both of my parents' deaths, and he will carry mine too. I was thinking about the letter I wrote him, hoping to ease his guilt. I am worried about him. Ariané and Simon will be fine as they know the truth, but Peter has just gotten me back and now he has lost me again, this time for good," she sighed softly, her heart clenching for her godfather.

"After that?"

"I thought about this gift of magnetism. It's a lot to take in."

"And then?" Eleazar probed.

"Dr Cullen-" began Seth, speaking for himself this time, and not as Amelia's translator.

"Carlisle," Carlisle corrected, smiling at the young wolf.

"Carlisle, please could you get Amelia a pen and some paper? Mr Denali, I think we should leave them in peace for a while," he stated. Eleazar opened his mouth to protest, but a look from Carlisle silenced him. The pair left the study while Carlisle hunted for some paper and a pen. He put both down on his desk and pushed it towards Amelia, before moving to sit on the sofa in the corner. The pen and paper remained untouched, before it was picked up. Amelia had moved around his desk. He watched with fascination as the stationery floated towards him. Amelia sat down next to him.

"Come here, you," spoke Carlisle, opening up his arms. He felt Amelia crawl into his lap, and he tightened his arms around her. For several minutes they sat in silence. She rested her head against his chest. He could feel her body shaking, and realised that she was dry-sobbing. He simply pressed a kiss to her head and soothed her while she grappled with her emotions. Even although she was different to other newborns, she had not been spared the powerful emotions and simply needed time to adjust. He would give her all the time she needed. Downstairs, he could hear Esme cooking up a storm with Emily. The imprints and elders had arrived and most of them were watching a football game. Their presence was not yet required, so they could spend a little more father-daughter time alone.

"Want to tell me about it?" he asked, when she had stopped shaking. He felt her nod, then reach for the pen and paper. He loosened his grip as she started to write.

 _I got upset._

"I gathered that, sweetheart," he replied with a smile, "it must be something big, something more than just leaving everyone behind, hmm?"

 _I was thinking about_ _him._ The final word in the sentence was underlined several times. It clicked. His heart sunk. He'd hoped that Amelia would leave those memories behind. Apparently not.

"I'd hoped you'd not be able to recall those," he whispered. A stirring of anger rushed through him. That lowlife, pathetic excuse of a human being was still tormenting his baby girl. If only he could kill him himself. He was tempted to bail out the inmate who had killed him, simply because he had gotten rid of that scum. Prisoners had codes, and they ensured to harm those who killed or harmed women and children. Prison was a bad place for those responsible for those kinds of crimes, but justice was often served thoroughly within the prison walls.

 _I do, unfortunately. I was thinking about how different life would have been if I had stayed with Peter like I should have. Obviously, I would not have met you, but I'd also have been spared the seven years of trauma that I went through. Perhaps I would have lived longer. I was neglected a lot, medically-speaking. One family never did – they were so strict about my health needs. They really did care about me. They were killed in an accident. I miss them._

"They put in adoption papers," replied Carlisle, "they wanted to make you part of their family."

He felt her tense up in shock, before resting her head against his chest again and sigh heavily.

 _I loved them._

"They loved you too."

 _I was thinking how I used to wish I could simply disappear when_ _he_ _wanted me. I so desperately wanted him to leave me alone, but if he had his way with me, he'd leave the others alone._

"There were other foster children?" Carlisle was surprised, the records indicated that Amelia was the only foster child at the time of his arrest.

 _They were a little older than me. They were also all boys, but I would not have put it past him to hurt them too. They left after about a month, then it was just me. I was alone. It was not nice._

"Oh, I see. He should never have hurt you, Amelia. It was wrong of him."

 _Yes, it was. I know that now. It took me a while to accept that not all adult men are like that, you know? My nice foster dad showed me that it was alright to trust men. You further cemented that. You've been nothing but understanding when I was afraid of you, you showed me that father figures don't sexually abuse their kids._

"What he did was worse than sexual abuse."

 _I know. But let's leave it at that. It's just the tip of the iceberg that sank the Titanic._

"Is there more to tell me about that pig?" Carlisle was irked.

 _Unless you want me to describe it in excruciating detail, no. I'd prefer not to. You know the bulk of it, the sick psycho filmed most of it for his viewing pleasure. The tame ones, if I could phrase it that way, were never filmed. He just filmed the worst._

"One day, will you tell me?"

 _I have eternity now. It could be centuries._

"I'll be waiting for you. You'll always be my little girl, you know that?"

 _Always. I love you Dad._

"I love you too, Amelia. You, your mother and your siblings are the best things that have ever happened to me."

They fell into a reflective silence while listening to the noises downstairs. Emmett and Sam were debating which team would win the match. The others were cheering loudly as someone scored.

"I'll never understand American football," stated Amelia, "rugby makes more sense."

"A bunch of men with no protective equipment but a mouth guard on a good day playing a heavy contact sport – why is it more sensible?" queried Carlisle, laughing at his daughter.

"They look so silly wearing all that gear. You're English, rugby is a national sport over there."

"It was banned during my time as a human," commented Carlisle, "I was never exposed to the sport as a child. It is a good game though, I do enjoy watching it from time to time. I played it briefly in the 1800s."

"Will you explain the rules to me one day?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. It took him a few moments before he realised something important, "hey! You're back! I can see you again!"

"I was wondering when you'd notice," she huffed, her crimson eyes full of mirth, "this is old news already. I thought about how I became invisible and applied the same logic to get myself back. I think I panicked too much as it took me by surprise, which is why I couldn't get back to a visible state. "

"Care to elaborate on that further?"

"Later, perhaps? We are being terribly anti-social by hiding out in the study. I'm no longer human after all. I must brag and show off these super gorgeous eyes, ya know?"

Chuckling softly, he stood up with Amelia still securely in his arms. "Shall we go and reassure your mother that you are once again visible to the vampire members of the family?"

"Can you put me down?"

"Nah, I think I'll carry you down the stairs. Heaven forbid you trip and break an arm or something, you weakling," he joked, easily opening up the door to his study without jostling his daughter too much. She was still delicate and fragile in his eyes, and he was still overprotective in hers. Some things would never change.


	6. Chapter 6

"Amelia! I can see you!" exclaimed Esme, abandoning the pot of vegetables that she was cooking along with Emily and Sue and Samantha. Chuckling wryly, Sue took over stirring the big pot as the Cullen matriarch shot over to her daughter. Never one to use her speed unless absolutely necessary, the mother in question was all but a blur as she engulfed her no-longer human child in a vampire-strength hug.

"I do believe I am visible again, yes," came Amelia's muffled voice.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" she admonished, letting go of her daughter to glare at her fiercely through tearful eyes, before holding her close again and inhaling deeply. She was instantly soothed by Amelia's lavender scent, which was more powerful now that it did not have the underlying essence of salt and decay any more.

"I'm sorry Mom," Amelia apologised, "I didn't expect this to happen, and I got scared. I heard Rosalie and Emmett calling for me and I called back but I know now that they didn't hear me. You always told me that if we ever got separated, I should stay exactly where I was and one of the family would find me. So I did, and Leah and Seth found me. I am really sorry for all the worry that I caused everyone."

"I forgive you," stated Esme, "please don't do it again without warning me!"

"I didn't know I could become invisible," stated Amelia quietly.

"Neither did we," stated Samantha brightly, glancing up from where she was preparing a salad.

"Meat's defrosted!" hollered Jacob, entering the kitchen with half of the shifter pack in his wake. Apparently Esme was using their body heat to defrost the meat. Outside, Sam and Paul were preparing a barbeque to feed the humans and wolves. It was promising to be a serious feast. Knowing how much Esme cooked, the boys had come prepared with Tupperware containers to take home the leftovers seeing that the final human of the Cullen family had been turned.

"Thank you, Jacob," smiled Sue, taking the meat from the boys and unwrapping them, before basting them and sticking them on a massive plate.

"Mia, could you take these out to the boys, please?" asked Emily, holding out three cans of cooldrink. Amelia took them obligingly and joined the boys outside.

"Mia!" they chorused. Sam affectionately ruffled her hair before blowing a kiss to Emily, who shook her head in mock exasperation from the kitchen.

* * *

"You look thoughtful. What's going on in that head of yours?" queried Jasper, coming to sit alongside his baby sister when the pack had finally departed. For the first time ever, they could embrace without reservation.

"It's nice to be able to hug you properly," remarked Amelia. Jasper always remained so fearful of his control around Amelia, even although he had been the one responsible for aiding her during a rather spectacular nose haemorrhage.

He'd smelled the blood and had come to investigate. They'd sat in Amelia's bathroom for a good thirty minutes, with Jasper dutifully applying pressure to the bridge of the ailing human's nose while Amelia had pressed a towel to her nose to stem the flow of blood. It had seriously compromised Amelia's ability to breathe as her nasal cannula had become obstructed due to the blood, and a face mask would block off her access to her nose as well, but they had survived regardless. Amelia had been as calm as anything, quite accustomed to her body's idiosyncrasies, and fortunately Jasper had allowed himself to be calmed by her.

He'd had to hunt afterwards, and had hoped the entire time that Alice would see them and come to their rescue – he and Amelia were the only two at home, aside from Jemima, who would not have been any help either. He'd been surprised by the feelings of pride that were emanating from his human sister, and even more surprised to realise that they were aimed at him. Amelia was always acutely aware of his struggles around her, and felt guilty for bleeding, but that was completely overshadowed by her pride in her elder brother for his control.

"Yes, it is nice," responded the Civil War major, grinning at Amelia. "You're awfully quiet and thoughtful. It's quite a lot to take in, I imagine?" he hinted again.

"Something like that," she sighed softly, "I didn't realise that it would be so overwhelming. And on top of it all, there's still something wrong with me. I'm supposed to be very strong and very fast, but yet I find myself struggling to keep up with everyone else, yet I find that I am barely stronger than I was as a human. It's like I came out wrong or something."

"You didn't come out wrong, Mia," Jasper hastened to reassure her, "you came out as you – a unique individual with one of the most powerful gifts I have ever encountered."

"In all your years before you joined the family, did you ever come across a newborn as odd as me?"

"No, but I have also never seen anyone as gifted as you," he countered, "perhaps your gift is powerful enough to detract from your physical strength?"

"Jazz, you could be onto something," called Alice, "family meeting, guys!"

* * *

"You know that humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, right?" began Carlisle, giving Amelia a brief crash course on supernatural genetics. Most of the Cullens were assembled in the lounge, aside from Bella and Edward, who had taken an exhausted Renesmee home. Kate, Tanya and Garret had gone for a hunt. Alair and Samantha remained as well, having been called from a deep discussion with Blythe, Carmen and Eleazar.

"Yes. The twenty third pair is either XX or XY, depending on the profile of the sperm at the time of conception," replied Amelia.

"Huh?" Emmett was slightly confused.

"Females have an XX genotype, Emmett. This means that every egg contains an X chromosome. Ova and sperm have 23 chromosomes, in other words, half of the human's chromosomes. When the sperm and ova unite, we get 46 chromosomes, or 23 pairs. The exception of course is where monosomy or trisomy, single chromosomes or additional chromosomes, such as Down Syndrome, conditions occur. Males have an XY genotype, so can donate either an X or a Y chromosome. Ultimately, it is the father who determines the sex of the embryo, not the mother, genetically speaking," explained Blythe.

"Vampires have 25 pairs of chromosomes. The shifters have 24. Renesmee also has 24 pairs," continued Carlisle. Amelia nodded in understanding.

"How does this tie in with me?" she asked, "I don't quite understand."

"I think it might have something to do with your genetic profile."

"But I thought venom altered DNA? How else do we go from 23 pairs of chromosomes as a human to 25 pairs as a vampire?" asked Amelia in confusion.

"I don't know Amelia. Your body had damage to its DNA already. It appears as though there are some things that venom just can't fix," stated Carlisle softly, watching his daughter's shoulders sag in defeat.

"Is it perhaps something to do with the specific DNA mutation that I had?" she suggested.

"In terms of your Cystic Fibrosis? Possibly. Did you have the F508 deletion mutation?"

"Only one. My other mutation was different."

"Did you have a complex allele?"

"That generally causes milder symptoms. The F508 deletion was partly why my symptoms were so severe."

"Yes. It is the most common mutation, but also causes more severe symptoms. It's quite fascinating really," Carlisle's voice trailed off.

"Amelia could never be so mainstream," laughed Samantha, recalling a conversation between Amelia and Dr Anderson about her genetic profile.

"Vampirism in itself is a genetic mutation," mused Blythe, "Carlisle could be onto something here. You had two separate mutations, Mia. That has to mean something."

"Which theory is this now? Number 2? First Jasper's theory about sheer mental and cognitive abilities drawing from her physical strength, now Amelia's genetic profile? Whatever next?" broke in Eleazar.

"I have a theory as well," grinned Rosalie, "but let's muddle through this one first."

"Two mutations? I thought Cystic Fibrosis only affected chromosome 7?" interjected Esme, ignoring Rosalie and Eleazar for the time being.

"It does, but it is a recessive gene. Amelia needed two copies in order to display the symptoms. Both of her biological parents were carriers of the gene. Recessive genes by and large mean that carriers are asymptomatic, and many parents of patients don't even realise that they are carriers until they have a child with the disease," explained Blythe.

"Statistically speaking, two carrier, unaffected parents have a 25% chance of having a child with CF, a 50% chance of having a child who is a carrier, and 25% chance of having a child who doesn't even carry the disease," continued Samantha, demonstrating her explanation with a chi square.

"The dice did not roll in your favour, Mia," stated Blythe. Amelia offered a weak smile.

"You said that Amelia had two different mutations of the CF gene. How many potential mutations are we talking about?" queried Esme.

"Over 1800," chorused Blythe, Carlisle and Amelia. Alair and Samantha nodded in confirmation. Esme's eyes widened in shock.

"Amelia, do you know which other mutation you had?" queried Carlisle, rejoining the conversation.

"S549R (T - G)," she stated. Carlisle whistled in surprise.

"That's a rarity," he breathed in fascination.

"It means that I have a gating mutation in one of my genes," Amelia explained to Esme, twisting in her seat to look up at her, "it is a Class III defect. It affects about 2-3% of CFers. My other mutation, F508 protein deletion, affects about 66% of CFers, and is a Class II. Class IV and Class V mutations are even rarer, but their chloride channel function is better than mine. Class III just indicates where the mutation occurs on a cellular level."

"I see," stated Esme.

"I don't really understand it either to be honest," whispered Amelia conspiratorially.

"Me neither," commented Blythe.

"Likewise," agreed Samantha. Alair nodded her head in agreement. Carlisle grinned and shook his head in amusement.

"Rosalie, let's hear your theory," stated Carmen. She'd been quiet for most of the evening and Amelia had forgotten that she was in the room.

"I think it might have something to do with Amelia herself – neither the inherent DNA flaw that caused the CF, nor the sheer magnitude of her gift."

"How so?" queried Eleazar.

"Subconsciously, Mia understood Carlisle and Esme's need to be proper parents, and our need to be siblings and this somehow enabled her to retain more human qualities than the average vampire."

"Amelia not a hybrid, if that is what you are implying," broke in Carlisle.

"She has no heartbeat, Carlisle. Blood does not run through her veins. She is definitely no hybrid - it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. But look at our family – Amelia completed us. You can deny it all you want, but the truth of the matter is that she united us. We protect her, which is something we were missing all along – it gives us a purpose. Sure, we have Nessie, but Mia and Ness are two very different individuals with two very different sets of needs," continued Rosalie, her voice heavy with emotion.

Carlisle reflected briefly again on his conversation with Rosalie when she had been the one to convince him to adopt Amelia. What she had not said that day, the unspoken words that lay between them were the most powerful of all that day. _I need a sister, not a friend_. Rosalie's words resonated with him then, and they were doing it again. She was right, Amelia had brought them together. Renesmee had helped, of course, but Amelia was the cement, the proverbial glue that held them all together.

"The dynamic of our coven relationship has evolved since Amelia's arrival. It felt as though we were close friends living together, more like housemates, but now it's as though we are a real family. Amelia's brought us together," stated Jasper, ever sensitive to the family's changing dynamics over the past few months.

"I've said it before, and I will say it again. Adopting you was the surest decision of my existence, both mortal and immortal," stated Esme, beaming down at her daughter, who shyly grinned back. Had Amelia still been capable of blushing, there was little doubt in anybody's mind that she would be a delicate shade of red.

"Was it that obvious?" queried Alice, directing her question to Amelia.

"What, that you needed someone to hone your protective skills on? Nah, not _that_ obvious," giggled Amelia.

"I wondered briefly how we would all cope when you became human-" began Carlisle.

"Me in particular," interrupted Esme, glaring at Carlisle playfully.

"-your mother in particular," he dutifully copied, winking at his wife as he did, "You required round the clock care. We adjusted our daily routines to incorporate your care into them, and it was as though we had always done it."

"You made me feel like a proper mother - not that having five 'children' to take care of for several decades didn't help in that regard. Even Bella, when she was human, was very independent and headstrong and didn't require the assistance that you did," mused Esme. Amelia reached across and grasped her mother's hand tightly.

"I wanted to be a kid for once. I didn't expect to be waited on hand and foot nor did I expect to have half a dozen family members at my beck and call. I just wanted to be able to act like a fifteen year old, and later, sixteen year old, that I was, not the pseudo-adult that I had to become," stated Amelia softly, ducking her head in embarrassment.

"You have a very vulnerable, child-like side that came out very rarely. I wished that I could see that side of you more often. You always seemed so closed-off," remarked Carlisle gently, "do you still have your doubts that we might leave you behind?"

Amelia nodded slowly. "I'm sorry," she apologised, "It's going to take me a while. Where I come from, adults aren't very good at keeping their promises. Peter promised me that he would take care of me, and look what happened. I understand now that it was beyond his control, but at age three, it was devastating. In my world, the real monsters never hid in the closet or under the bed. In foster care, you compartmentalise because you can't show weakness. You can't show fear."

"Even the toughest of facades eventually crack," whispered Esme.

Amelia laughed bitterly. "That they most certainly do."

"And when they crack, it all comes tumbling down," remarked Samantha. Amelia nodded, recalling the meltdown she had had in Rochester.

"You all seemed so different to my other foster families, aside from one. I think that's why I let my guard down occasionally. When you get bounced around from home to home, you don't even bother to settle in and get comfortable because you just know that one day in the not so distant future, you're going to be told to pack your things up and be ready to leave in half an hour."

Carlisle groaned internally. It seemed as though Amelia's insecurities would haunt her for a while still.

"Where you go, I go," stated Esme, hugging her daughter, "even if you tell me to leave. I'm going to stick to you like glue for the rest of eternity."

"Sounds like a plan," grinned Amelia, snuggling deeper into her mother's embrace.

"Now you have eight of us kiddies to take care of, Mom, one of whom is a slightly unusual immortal. Piece of cake," exclaimed Emmett.

"Blythe and Mia make eight," grinned Esme, remarking on how their family had expanded in the past few months. It brought her such joy to see everyone flourish. Amelia certainly had since arriving. She'd been fortunate enough to have spent her teenage years in a more stable environment, but having spent her formative years moving homes every few weeks had done its damage, and she'd thrived since arriving at the Cullens, blossoming as an individual even as her physical health deteriorated.

"That sounds like the name of a bad sitcom," remarked Alice.

"Way to wreck a moment, Alice," commented Blythe, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"So, anyone else got a theory or can we wrap this shindig up?" stated Emmett, "there's a movie showing on TV right now that I've been dying to watch."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Many thanks to the supremely awesome** **BloodyBatty** **(as she is known on a different site) for all her help with this chapter. She had the idea of Amelia's mutation being partially responsible for her abnormal newborn characteristics, and also how the Cullens have come together as a family since Amelia's arrival. Without her, this chapter would have taken far longer to be written. Thank you :)**

 **Carlisle's reference to the conversation between him and Rosalie ("I need a sister, not a friend") comes from 'Amelia gets her PEG feeding tube removed' and can be found in the One-Shots work on my profile - check it out if you have not already. If you have any ideas for the one-shots, please comment or message me. Credit will be given :)**

 **I have another exam coming up in two weeks' time (September 30th) so please bear with me if things slow down a little more. Many thanks :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm tired," stated Amelia, glancing up at the clock out of habit, "heavens above! It's 2am. No wonder I'm sleepy!"

"Why don't you get some rest?" suggested Carlisle, keeping his face a carefully composed mask of calmness.

"Perhaps I ought to," muttered Amelia, stifling a yawn. She did not miss the concerned glances exchanged between her family members, "I'm not meant to be this sleepy, am I?"

"You're not meant to be tired at all, Mia," stated Rosalie, "sometimes we get mentally strained but never physically exhausted."

"Huh. I guess there is something else to add to the list of things that are wrong with me," she stifled a yawn and leaned back into the couch, resting her head on Esme's shoulder.

"You're quirky, Amelia. You could never be normal," stated Esme simply, turning her face downwards to plant a kiss on her daughter's head and snaking an arm around her, pulling Amelia closer to her. She was delighted that Amelia had picked up a bit of 'weight' in her immortality and did not look as gaunt as she always did. Prior to Amelia's transformation, she was convinced that Amelia would blow away with a gust of wind, so thin she was. No longer did she feel the painfully obvious vertebrae sticking out of Amelia's spine. Amelia had been far too thin, not only for Esme's liking, but also in terms of her own health.

"Normal is such a boring concept," boomed Emmett, determined to get a smile out of his gloomy little sister.

"You would not know what normal is if it hit you in the face, Emmett," chortled Alice.

"Speak for yourself, oh magic eight-ball," he huffed in response. Alice poked her tongue out at him, earning a rude gesture courtesy of Emmett's left middle finger in return.

"Emmett!" scolded Esme softly, unwilling to raise her voice. She put her index finger to her lips, inclining her head at her youngest daughter. There was silence as everyone suddenly realised that Amelia was fast asleep.

"I'll take her up," offered Rosalie.

"I've got her, thanks, but I think I'll sit with her for a while. Care to join me?" offered Esme, seeing Rosalie's face fall.

"She's very peaceful right now," commented Jasper, "I suspect the events of today just wore her out."

"I'm still concerned about her," stated Carlisle.

"We all are," murmured Blythe. Esme smiled gently at the newest addition to the Cullen family as she eased Amelia into her arms and stood up, exiting the living room and making her way up the stairs. Rosalie followed suit. The pair quickly changed Amelia's clothes into pyjamas and tucked her into bed. Downstairs, the chatter continued as the great mystery that was Amelia Grace Theodore-Cullen was debated with great zest.

"Do you think Mia is going to be alright?" asked Rosalie softly, so as not to disturb her youngest sister.

"I have my concerns about her well-being at present, but I have no doubt that she is going to be fine. Once we get to the bottom of this, once we have the answers that we desperately seek, we'll all be more relaxed and we'll be able to give Amelia the support she needs," replied Esme with more confidence that she actually had.

"I'm scared for her," confessed Rosalie, her eyes brimming with tears that would never fall. She shut her eyes tightly, willing them to disappear as she tried to get a grip on her emotions, "sorry."

"It's quite alright, Rosalie. What's bothering you? Are you upset that Amelia's one of us?"

"Never!" she exclaimed loudly, wincing as Amelia stirred briefly. She lowered her voice, "absolutely not! I'd have changed her myself if it came to it."

"You've changed, Rose. I'm so proud of you."

"Amelia is everything to me, after Emmett of course. I know you're her mother, but she is my little sister."

"You needed a sister," Esme guessed, having never been privy to the conversation between Carlisle and Rosalie regarding Amelia's inclusion into the family. Carlisle had mentioned it once in passing but had never elaborated on it.

Of all of Esme's children, Rosalie had always been the most challenging. Years of internalising her pain had turned her into a bitter person. Esme recalled coming home after a trip to the local supermarket and hearing sobbing coming from upstairs. She'd raced to Rosalie's room, only to find her and Amelia locked in an embrace as if their arms around each other were the only thing holding them together. They were sharing in their pain, crying for all that they had lost. Emmett had looked so helpless, not knowing what else to do as he simply put his arms around his wife and his baby sister, and waited for them to regain a sense of control.

"Yes. My less than friendly attitude towards Bella has meant that we will never view each other as more than friends," she whispered. Downstairs, the rest of the family, minus Carlisle, left the house to give the two of them some mother-daughter privacy. Both of them had been so busy with Amelia's care that they had not really had the opportunity to converse much amongst themselves.

"It's in the past Rosalie. I know how much you hate change, and you were right in some aspects when you worried that Bella would tear us apart, because for several very long months, that is exactly what happened. Not that it was ever Bella's fault to begin with, nor was it Jasper's for that matter, but we nearly lost both her and Edward."

"Again, that was my fault."

"Stop beating yourself up. Alice and Bella will always be close but they are more like twins in a sense – they complement each other but neither of them needs someone to guide them. But what you and Amelia have? That's something special. She looks up to you. You're her role model."

"Amelia loves you. She says that she doesn't have favourites, but she's always gravitated more towards you, kitty," stated Carlisle, coming to join his wife and eldest daughter, "Alice can be pushy at times whereas you aren't. You let Amelia do her own thing within reason. Maybe it's your past experiences that unite you, maybe it's your similar personalities and deeply private, introverted natures that draw you to each other. All I know is that Amelia is a lucky girl to have a sister as brilliant as you."

"Carlisle and I can only provide her with so much guidance," Esme smiled at her eldest daughter, "sometimes, she's going to need some big sister advice. Amelia's going to look to you for that."

"You were right about us not really being a family as much as we are now," mused Carlisle, "I always considered us to be one big happy family but I am noticing more and more just how Amelia brings us all together. She's the proverbial glue that unites us. I was blind to it before, but I see it more and more each day. Everyone's adjusted to incorporate her into our daily lives. She's so very special to us all. Thank you, Rosalie."

"Bet you're glad you listened to me," Rosalie gave a half smile as she stroked her littlest sister's face. Amelia shifted slightly. Rosalie pulled the blanket further up so that it rested just beneath Amelia's chin, and smoothed her hair of her face, "she's so beautiful, not that she wasn't stunning as a human, but she really is breath-taking now. Immortality suits her, crimson eyes and all."

"I always listen to you Rosalie, even although we don't always see eye to eye on certain matters," grinned Carlisle. Spying Esme's confused expression, he elaborated, "It was Rosalie who convinced me that evening in January that we needed to make Amelia a part of our family."

"I cannot imagine life without her," whispered Rosalie.

"What made you change your mind, Rosalie?" asked Esme, knowing her eldest daughter's need to protect their family from humans was paramount.

"I was not sold on the idea to begin with. Adding a human to our family just seemed to be so dangerous, I could not bear the thought of dividing our family again. It was Alice who changed my mind. She told me that she saw Amelia and me being close, closer than even she and Bella are."

"You had no desire to have a friend, you wished to have a sister," guessed Esme, hitting the nail on the head.

"Yes. And both of you needed a child to look after. Amelia was more dependent on you than the rest of us ever were. She needed to be loved by a set of parents, be loved by siblings. Bree asked us to take care of her, and we owe it to that young girl who died with no one but Mia to miss her. Mia needed us just as much as we needed her, we just did not realise it at the time."

"I wish we could have made Bree part of our family. We could have made Amelia a part of our family sooner. Perhaps things could have been easier for her," contemplated Carlisle.

"Amelia still needs our care. I am worried about her," Rosalie's marble forehead puckered in concern.

"We'll figure it out, kitty. You have my word," promised Carlisle.

* * *

"That nap was just what I needed," declared Amelia as she ambled into the kitchen and walked straight to the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. She decided on some cereal and proceeded to take the milk out of the fridge.

"I'm glad to hear that," stated Esme, crossing her arms and leaning against the sink, observing her daughter, "are you hungry?"

"Starving, actually."

"Is my baby vampire Squirt raiding the fridge?" called Emmett, bounding into the kitchen to watch with interest. Amelia paused what she was doing, and looked glumly at the bottle of milk that she held in her hand. She put it back in the refrigerator and shut the door, before scooping Jemima into her arms and walking out of the kitchen. They watched her sit down on the lawn and play with the elderly Scottish Terrier.

"Nice one, Emmett," remarked Rosalie.

"Do you think she is craving human food or it was just a human habit and she kind of forgot about being a vampire?" Carlisle asked aloud.

"I don't know, Carlisle," stated Samantha, "I think we ought to ask her."

"She wanted cereal. Take her some and see if she eats it," broke in Alice.

"Does she?" asked Carlisle.

"See for yourself. Oh, and Samantha should do it," advised Alice.

* * *

"Mia," spoke Samantha softly, so as not to startle the young vampire in front of her.

"Hello Sammy," Amelia's voice was resigned, "I believe that you have been delegated the task of seeing how I react to eating cereal?"

"I take it your hearing has improved?" grinned Samantha, handing a mug of cereal to her young charge.

"My eyesight too," she remarked, "at least something is going right."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," reassured Samantha, as she plopped down onto the grass beside Amelia and nudged her shoulder affectionately. They fell into companionable silence. Amelia stared at the mug of cereal that lay uneaten in her hands. She set it aside, only to witness Jemima sniff it with interest, crouching down with her butt in the air, tail wagging enthusiastically. In spite of her definite carnivorous ways, the terrier was willing to try most things at least once, although she was equally determined to make her opinion known if the food in question was not adequate to her delicate palate.

"Am I going to die?" Amelia blurted out suddenly. Jemima decided to try out a vegetarian diet and stuck her entire snout into the mug, licking at the cereal with zest.

"What?" Samantha was shocked speechless. Amelia took a moment to collect her thoughts. Jemima abandoned her task, throwing Amelia what could only be described as a look of utter disgust and charging off to her water bowl. Amelia could hear her dog lapping away at the water in an attempt at cleansing her palate of the foul human food. She then entered the house via the kitchen and whined sadly, gaining sympathy for her terrible plight.

"The whole reason I am now a vampire was because I was dying. If me being significantly weaker than should be expected, even for an older vampire, is somehow an indicator that I'm not an immortal vampire, then just what was the point?"

* * *

 **AN**

 **Hi everyone. My sincerest apologies for the delay in this latest chapter upload. I wrote a big exam on Friday so I was frantically studying for it. I then woke up insanely early on Saturday with the mother of all migraines so I've been trying to sleep it off and avoid anything bright. Of course, my neighbour's 30th party, complete with very loud (and very distasteful) house music that played until almost midnight made life so much more bearable...**

 **I got a review notification saying that A New Cullen Sister was nominated in a poll to find the top ten fics completed in September. I am not entirely sure how that all works, but to the person/people who nominated it, thank you very much! :) It means so much to me!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Could she die, Carlisle?" Esme's voice was frantic, unable to fathom the horrifying possibility that had been plaguing Amelia for several hours.

"I really don't know, Esme," Carlisle replied, staring at Amelia in distress. He wanted to kick himself. It should have been one of the first things that crossed his mind when it became more and more apparent that Amelia was so different from a standard newborn. Would she always remain so weak, or would she strengthen after the first year?

For once, answers failed him. For once, the ever cool, calm, collected and serene patriarch of the Cullen family was scared. Scared for his daughter, for her future, and scared for his family, who'd never be able to fully recover if Amelia died. Her immortality was a given almost from the very beginning. They had constantly worried about her when she was human, but always knew that the likelihood of her perishing was nearly impossible, and chose not to dwell on it too much. The developments of the past day questioned everything he knew to be possible. Was it really possible that he'd condemned his daughter to her death? In changing her, had he essentially given her a death sentence?

"We need to speak to the Volturi," Eleazar muttered, leading the Cullen and Denali clans to the dining room table where everyone sat down.

"No!" yelled Rosalie, resolute in her decision to leave the vampire royalty out of the equation.

"It's the only choice we have," whispered Carlisle, glancing up at Alice, imploring her to reassure him.

"No Alice, tell him that it's going to end badly!" Rosalie was starting to grow hysterical, "we can't lose Amelia. We talked about this yesterday!"

"I know, Rose," Carlisle silenced his eldest daughter.

Alice was silent for a moment, her eyes unfocussed as she saw things that only she could see. Amelia quietly put her mug of cereal in the sink and walked into the dining room, taking her seat next to Esme. Samantha followed suit. All eyes were focussed on Alice.

"Relax, babe," whispered Emmett, rubbing his arms up and down the tops of Rosalie's arms in a soothing gesture. The expression on Rosalie's face nearly broke Carlisle's unbeating heart. She was absolutely terrified. Esme bore a similar expression.

"You will have to go and see Aro, Carlisle. It's the only way we are going to get answers. Aro has heard rumours of Amelia's existence and it is imperative that we show him that she has been changed. Otherwise, they will come here and I can't guarantee a peaceful gathering," spoke Alice, snapping out of her vision.

"It'll be a chance to show them that you mean no harm, that you have no plans to overthrow them," interjected Jasper, ever the military tactician.

"You are not hiding anything from them. Amelia should not be kept secret because of her immense power, even although we all know that Aro will try to recruit her," Eleazar broke in.

"What do we do if that happens?" Esme spoke softly.

There was silence as all eyes suddenly turned on Amelia, who looked rather alarmed at being the centre of attention. Rosalie let out a horrified sob. It was Carlisle who broke the silence, addressing his youngest daughter, "Amelia, what I told you back in the library the day you got discharged after that massive blood vessel rupture remains unchanged. The decision is yours."

"What did you tell her, Carlisle?" whispered Rosalie. Amelia locked eyes with him as she shifted through her hazy human memories. Recognition lit up her face. Carlisle nodded once, an unspoken message flowing between the two of them.

"I asked him if I would be alone," spoke Amelia, "Dad told me that you would never abandon me, but that he would not stop me if I decided to leave on my own free will. I then asked if I would ever find a mate, and he told me that there was someone for everyone, someone who would love me for who I was, and not be deterred by my... history."

"Carlisle!" Rosalie and Esme chorused, horror struck that Amelia may actually leave them. Carlisle could not blame them for being upset, but did not regret his decision.

"Amelia is a Cullen. She is one of us. One day, she may wish to leave us. You and Emmett have done so in the past, Rosalie. Alice and Jasper have also upon occasion left for a while. There may come a time when Esme and I desire to go off on our own. Edward and Bella don't live with us, for heaven sake!" Carlisle exclaimed in exasperation.

"Bella and Edward live within spitting distance," argued Rosalie. Esme glanced at her youngest daughter, who was frowning at the exchange, her shoulders sagging in defeat. Amelia decided to intervene.

"Rose, do you honestly think I would walk away without a backward glance? The Volturi may try to recruit me, but I have little desire to 'work'," she made quotation marks in the air with the index and middle fingers of both of her hands, "for the people who have Bree's blood on their hands."

"How do you feel about going to the Volturi, Amelia?" asked Eleazar. Amelia was silent for a moment as she considered her options.

"I am hesitant to go, not only because I am so new and unsure of this all – what if I hurt someone on the flight to Italy? We don't know yet what is going to happen to me, what if I suddenly develop a thirst for blood 30 000 feet above sea level? The thought terrifies me. Then there is the minor issue that the people whom you desire for me to engage with killed the closest person I had to a sister, pre-2008," she stated, chewing on her lower lip as she replied to Eleazar's question, holding up a hand as Carlisle tried to convince her to change her mind, "but I respect that things between our family and the Volturi have been strained for a while now, and word would have spread about me to them. Humans knowing about vampire-lore is forbidden, and you adopting me, a human, would not bode well with the royalty. Now that I have been changed, I think it is imperative that we show them that we are but humble servants, so to speak, and have no plans to overthrow them. Also, we need answers. We need to speak to others with gifts like mine, and find out what we are dealing with."

"I agree with Amelia," stated Jasper.

"As do I. Spoken like a true Cullen," Carlisle stated, winking at his daughter, who shot him a grateful smile in return.

"What happened to tracking down Leopold?" demanded Rosalie, throwing a sympathetic glance at Blythe, who winced as the name of her sire was mentioned, "why can't we do that first?"

"Because Leopold will not be easy to find, and we really should not waste time in getting to Volterra," spoke Alice smoothly, interrupting the conversation, "I've seen both outcomes. We can get answers far sooner if we speak to the Volturi than if we search for Leopold."

"It's settled then. Alice, when do you propose we leave?" Carlisle's voice was commanding. Rosalie, who had been about to protest yet again, shut her mouth with a snap. Amelia reached across and entwined their fingers, smiling in what she hoped was a reassuring manner to the blonde vampire.

"Phone Aro and see what he says, but I estimate that we should leave within the next week or so."

"Who all is he expecting?"

"All of us Cullens, Blythe included. Bringing the Denalis, Alair and Samantha along will only incur trouble I'm afraid," said Alice quietly, glancing at the uneasy expression on Carmen's face. The vampires in question nodded their heads.

"I'll need to head back to New York anyway," commented Samantha, "I can't take too long off for the so-called funeral."

"I'll man the fort," stated Alair, winking at Amelia, "I've been dying to raid Alice's closet for ages."

The tension in the room, wound as tightly as a coil, broke suddenly as almost every vampire present in the room burst into laughter, aside from Alice, who started shrieking pitifully and threatening Alair with a painful dismemberment, amongst other heinous acts. Jemima bounded into the room in alarm, before snorting and making her way over to Amelia.

"What about Jemima?" Amelia asked softly, holding the Scottie dog in question in her arms. The pooch frowned at her owner, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, before yawning and licking Amelia's face and snuggling into the crook of her neck and sighing.

"She's quite a character," commented Alair, "I can keep an eye on her."

"Bella and Renesmee will not be accompanying us," volunteered Edward, speaking for the first time, "I'm not having those vile creatures anywhere near my daughter. They can look after Jemima – I have no doubt that Renesmee will love to take care of her."

"It's settled then," remarked Carlisle, "I can see the logic in keeping Renesmee away from Volterra. I have no qualms about that."

The rest of the family voiced their agreement. Renesmee's life had been threated before, and it was once too many for the Cullen clan. There was no way that they would be sending her to the very people who had been responsible for that threat.

"Amelia, I think it best that we take the time we have remaining to aid you in gaining control of your duplicated powers. Even if we don't understand an awful lot about them, I'd rather you be prepared for an attack," Eleazar voiced his thoughts, hesitant to leave his niece vulnerable and unprotected.

"She ought to learn how to project my gift, it's a useful defensive one," spoke Kate, "I have no issue with sharing my talent with Amelia. Two vampires proficient in psychic electrokinesis is better than one."

"Bella will not object to her shield being duplicated either. I'll have her come over later," spoke Edward, grinning at Amelia.

"It's settled then, Amelia. Go and hunt, find yourself a stag for two, and then we shall begin your training. Chop chop!" Eleazar beamed, enthralled by the opportunity to be involved in training a magnet such as Amelia.

"Well that was said with a lot of enthusiasm," remarked Amelia drily, standing up with Jemima firmly encased in her hold. The Scottie had fallen asleep. Eleazar grinned and waved her off.

"Carlisle, phone Aro and tell him we are coming. Rosalie, Emmett, please take Amelia hunting," instructed Alice, standing up and leaving the dining room.

"Aye aye, Captain!" saluted Emmett, standing up with military straightness. Jasper shot him an incredulous look and rolled his eyes, before following his wife. Rosalie offered Amelia a small smile, before heading off to change into more appropriate hunting attire, determined to have a little chat with her baby sister.

"I'm going to put her to bed," whispered Amelia, pressing a kiss to her dog's head. Jemima's ears flicked and she snuffled in her sleep.

"Alright, sweetheart," dismissed Carlisle, watching his daughter slowly climb the stairs, careful not to jostle the dog. Most of the vampires dispersed. Alair and Samantha, who had become good friends, left the house to return to Alair's apartment. Blythe retired to her bedroom to reply to an email from _Herr_ von Stein regarding some or other maintenance issue at her house. Edward returned home to Bella and Renesmee, with the promise of returning later. The Denali's, minus Carmen and Eleazar, departed for a hunt as well, opting to allow Amelia the opportunity to duplicate Bella's shield and work with it, before Kate allowed her to duplicate her psychic electrokinesis.

"Carlisle, are we doing the right thing?" asked Esme softly, reaching out to grasp his hand.

"I hope we are, Esme dearest," her husband replied, pressing a kiss to her hand.

"I believe that we have no other option. Alice's visions merely cemented my opinion," offered Eleazar.

"I really hope that this doesn't end badly," murmured Carmen, "Amelia's so special. An eternity of grieving if it does go south is going to be unbearable for all of us."

"An eternity of not knowing what will happen next is equally unbearable," spoke Amelia from her bedroom, having heard the hushed conversation with perfect clarity.

"I'm inclined to agree with Mia on this point," commented Blythe from her bedroom, sighing to herself as her fingers tapping away at the keyboard of her laptop as she reviewed and approved the proposed plan for a cracked column at her manor house.

"House maintenance sounds like a pain," remarked Amelia as she walked down the stairs.

"Tell me about it," agreed Blythe, shutting the lid of her laptop and putting it away, "We'll have to tackle your house soon."

"I was thinking of making it a small music school or something. Peter's always wanted to teach. I should speak to Simon about that, see what he thinks."

"That sounds like a lovely idea."

"How did they get so off-topic?" whispered Esme, listening to her two newest daughters chat away as they met on the staircase. Carlisle shrugged his shoulders.

"Teenagers," was the best answer he could come up with.

"I'm older than all seven of your other children, Carlisle Robert Cullen!" called Blythe, "and your wife!"

"Yes Dr Casper," he called in response, rolling his eyes.

"I've got my eyes on you, mister!"

Giggling, the pair left the house, calling a farewell to their family. Rosalie and Emmett were waiting for them, ready to teach their baby sister a few tricks.

"No teaching Amelia how to wrestle a grizzly bear, Emmett McCarthy Cullen, or there will be hell to pay!" called Esme to her middle son's retreating form. A dismissive "yeah yeah" was the only response she got.

"Teenagers," she agreed.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Hi everyone. This is the furthest that I have written as yet. Unfortunately massive student protests have broken out across my country, resulting in closure of universities, mine included. It's very frustrating, because I still had a few days left to wrap up patients before we finished with clinics. Protesters literally came into the building and threatened violence if students didn't stop treating patients, and refused to let a lot of patients enter the building. Luckily I am based at the smaller site, which is further away from the bigger hospital where the bulk of the students are, so I didn't have to go through that - we were shut down an hour later because the protesters were threatening to come to 'my' site.**

 **The problem is that our patients' treatments need to be finished before we can qualify to write our final, exit exams, but we can't actually go to university to finish our patients. Things are very uncertain right now - we have to write exams because we are exit level students. If these protests continue, thousands of medical professionals are not going to be able to graduate in December. Updates are going to slow down significantly, because I really don't know what is happening from day to day, and I can't afford to stop studying in case our exams are not delayed. I thank you all for your patience. I will update when I can :)**


	9. Chapter 9

"Ok Mia, I want you to focus on your invisibility. Grasp it, sense it. Feel it consume you," guided Eleazar. Amelia shut her eyes and focused, standing as still as a statue. She took a deep breath, trying not to feel too self-conscious. She was only too acutely aware of her family 'casually' observing her from inside the house while she attempted to master her invisibility skills on the front lawn. She could hear Jasper and Emmett sniggering about something – no doubt those two were taking bets at her expense again.

She exhaled loudly and took another deep breath, this time, holding it. She started to envision herself as nothing at all, as though she were not there. She opened her eyes, and found Eleazar grimacing sympathetically at her.

"I assume that you can still see me then?" Amelia groaned in frustration. She'd been practicing expanding the shield that she had duplicated from Bella, and it hadn't worked out too well. Eleazar wanted her to have better control over it before they attempted duplicating Kate's power. When that had failed, they'd gone back to practicing her invisibility.

"That would be correct," remarked Eleazar.

"Take a breather, Amelia," called Carlisle, "You're just tiring yourself out more."

"But we leave in five days!" she exclaimed frantically, "how am I supposed to protect us all if I can't even master one simple thing?"

"There's nothing simple about any of your gifts," broke in Esme firmly, "now listen to your father and take a break."

Amelia nodded, her jaw clenched in frustration. Thanking Eleazar, she took off for the forest.

"She keeps on disappearing into the forest," remarked Jasper. It was true – whenever Amelia got upset, which was becoming more and more frequent, she took off running to the forest, disappearing for an hour or two at a time. The first time she had done it, Rosalie had been sent after her. She'd found Amelia right by the waterfall again, her feet dangling over the side as she wept tearlessly in frustration.

"She'll be alright," stated Rosalie, walking into the forest at a more sedate pace to follow her littlest sister. It was her job, as Amelia's protective big sister, to ensure that she came to no harm. Much to Edward's vexation, while Amelia could not as yet expand 'Bella's' shield, her mind was firmly protected by it. Her thoughts were now just as silent as Bella's were. Amelia loved it. The rest of the family was not so sure about it. They relied on Edward, perhaps a little too heavily, to keep them in the loop on what Amelia was thinking.

"Hey Rosie," murmured Amelia, when her eldest sister came into hearing distance.

"Want me to uproot a couple of trees for you?" offered Rosalie, using her vampire speed to catch up to Amelia.

"I'm good thanks," Amelia replied softly, a small smile playing at her lips. Rosalie nudged her shoulder affectionately. Amelia poked her back. The blonde and the dark-haired vampires fell silent as they continued their walk, linking their arms together as they ambled along between the massive trees that lined their path.

"I wish the sun would come out. This weather is pretty bleak," remarked Amelia, surveying the bland, grey skies above the canopy of trees.

"The more overcast the weather is, the better it is for us," the blonde vampire replied, "oh. I get it. You want to see how you look in the sunlight, don't you?"

"Basically," chuckled Amelia, sitting down on the edge of the cliff and pulling Rosalie down with her, "it was mildly sunny the day I woke up, but I kept missing it. I was inside when it was sunny, and outside when it became overcast. I'm positively itching to see myself sparkle like you guys do, if I even sparkle at all."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Because I am so peculiar. Nothing seems to be going right."

"Which is why we are going to seek help from the Volturi. Speaking of which, how are you feeling about going to Italy?" queried Rosalie gently. The dark-haired vampire fell silent and watched the water cascade down the cliff.

"Anxious," she began hesitantly, "because we don't know what news it will bring. Five months ago, I'd made peace with the fact that I was going to die. It was inevitable, and I was sick of fighting. I had nothing left. I hadn't gone down without a fight, but I had to admit defeat and let the disease win, because nothing could have saved me. Then I met Mom and Dad, and then you and Ali, and the others, then Alair and Blythe. And I was suddenly part of a family, and I was loved, and-"

"And now you have a reason to keep fighting?" guessed Rosalie, her golden eyes troubled and worried.

"Yeah," Amelia breathed quietly. The pair fell silent as another pair of feet approached them.

" _Guten Tag_!" greeted Blythe, plopping down next to Amelia.

"Hey Bee," grinned Amelia.

"Is it time already?" queried Rosalie.

"That would be correct," Blythe nodded, offering a resigned smile. Rosalie sighed, and stood up, bidding farewell to her sisters.

"Where are you off to, Rosie?" queried Amelia, chewing on her lower lip in worry.

"Your memorial service, kiddo," she replied, "we've got to keep playing the part of a grieving family."

"Oh," Amelia was taken aback, having not considered the possibility of a service of any kind for herself, "what about the body?"

"We had your body 'cremated'," Rosalie made quotation marks in the air with her fingers, "so there is no body involved."

"If Dad is having a priest preside-"

"Nope. Simon is doing it," Rosalie cut her off, "I'll see you later, Mia-bug. I need to go."

"Uncle Simon is here?" Amelia asked of Blythe.

"Yes he is. A lot of your orchestra friends drove out. They've been speaking of having a concert for you."

"They do one for my mother every year. It is unnecessary to do one for me as well."

"They want to make a scholarship fund in your name as well," remarked Blythe, "using some of the money from the trust fund that was set up in your name."

"But why? That makes no sense. _Maman_ was the musician, not me."

"You were a prodigy, Mia. I've never encountered someone with as much talent as you, and I've been around for a long time. You started composing your own music at what age, eight? That is raw talent, _mein Schätzchen._ "

"Ten. Besides, Mozart was doing it far earlier than me," she retorted.

"Yeah, well, it's Mozart. Duh," Blythe rolled her eyes and nudged her sister. _Sister_. The word gave her a small trill of delight every time she referred to the Cullen 'children' as her siblings. _I have a family_.

"Whatever, Blythe."

The girls fell into companionable silence, both of them lost in their thoughts. Amelia got up and started walking towards the waterfall itself, Blythe shadowing her. She took her responsibility as a newly-appointed elder sister very seriously.

"Do you think I could clear the water if I jumped across?" she queried, turning around to look at Blythe.

"I wouldn't attempt that if I were you," giggled Blythe, "you could really hurt yourself. I'm not going to be the one to explain to Mom and Dad why you are lying in 25 separate pieces on the front lawn."

Amelia burst out laughing. "I would pay cold hard cash to see that. Mom would be so mad!"

"Laugh all you want, sister. It's your own funeral."

"Actually, it is."

There was a solemn beat of silence, and the pair dissolved into gales of laughter once again, holding onto each other as they fought to stay upright. They plopped down once more, removing their shoes and rolling up their trouser legs so as not to get them wet, before dipping their feet in the gushing water.

"Can you feel the difference in temperature?" queried Blythe, curiosity overtaking her.

"Not really," mused Amelia, "it's cold, yes, but not achingly so. A week ago, I'd have been freezing and in agony because of it, but now it is refreshingly cool – like a cold drink on a hot summer's day I'd imagine?"

"Hmm," Blythe gave a noncommittal mumble.

"Hey, the sun is coming out!" Amelia exclaimed brightly, "finally!"

"At long last!" declared Blythe, only too aware of how desperate Amelia was to see herself in sunlight.

"No peeking, okay?"

Blythe held out her pinkie finger and the girls shook on it. As the first rays of sunlight hit the duo, Blythe grinned good naturedly at Amelia's resounding giggles, and turned towards her sister. What she saw, however, made her do a double take.

" _Oh mein Gott!"_

* * *

"Thank you for coming," Carlisle thanked one of the memorial service attendees with an appropriately sad smile. Tea and refreshments were being served after the service, and the Cullens had decided to have it at the high school auditorium in order to keep people away from their home to allow Amelia the freedom to roam around the house as she pleased, rather than have to make herself scarce. The sun had come out briefly, before heavy rainclouds closed it off again, and it was safe for the vampires to move around again.

"Carlisle," he heard Alice calling. Beside him, Esme tensed up at Alice's tone of voice and they exchanged worried glances. After excusing themselves from the conversation that they were having, the couple hurried over to where the rest of the family were congregating around the psychic.

"What is it, Alice? What do you see?" Jasper was worried. Alice looked uncertain, unable to make sense of her vision. Edward's expression was one of great apprehension, and he glanced at his parents uneasily.

"You need to get home. It's Mia."

* * *

"Are you certain that you feel alright?" Blythe's voice was taut with fear. Amelia was unusual, yes, but this was another matter entirely.

"Blythe, I feel no different than I did fifteen minutes ago, or an hour ago, even a day ago. I'm not going to burst into flames and turn into ash, I promise. Chill out," replied Amelia, removing Blythe's hands from her forehead.

"Chill out. You ask me to 'chill out'? _Wie schaffst du das jedes Mal? Also wiklich… Hast du schlechtes Hirschblut getrunken? Das ist doch schon nicht mer normal…"_ she trailed off, switching to German as she often did when she got agitated or upset.

"English, please," Amelia remarked airily, "if you continue to freak out, you'll raise Alice's psychic antennae and disrupt my memorial service. Show some respect to the deceased. It is my funeral after all, as you so kindly reminded me."

"It's a wee bit too late for that," Blythe observed, delicately turning her head towards the driveway. Amelia mimicked her actions and sure enough, the sound of Carlisle's Mercedes turning off of the highway and onto the driveway at breakneck speed could be heard, followed by several other vehicles. Fixating her brunette sister with a glare that could sour milk, she crossed her arms and waited in the shade, slap bang in the middle of the driveway. The Mercedes screeched to a halt mere inches from where Amelia stood. Esme was out of the car before Carlisle even had the chance to pull up the handbrake, racing to her youngest daughter's side and anxiously examining every inch of her.

"Are you alright? Alice was so worried. What happened? Are you hurt? Why-" Esme was cut off by Amelia.

"Mom. Breathe," she gently commanded, putting her hands on Esme's cheeks, effectively ending Esme's tirade, "I'm perfectly alright, see? Nothing is wrong. I'm alive, relatively speaking; I'm breathing; never better actually."

"Is everything alright, Blythe?" Carlisle asked the healer, while Amelia continued to console her mother. He was now more relaxed, having seen with his own eyes that his princess was alive and kicking, so to speak.

"Yeah, she's okay. I got a little spooked, my humblest apologies. I've never seen anything quite like it before!"

"What did you see?"

"I think it's something that you'd best see for yourself."

Almost as if Blythe controlled the weather, the clouds abruptly shifted and a small shaft of sunlight came out. Amelia grinned sheepishly.

"You did not!" Blythe exclaimed, mouth agape.

"You'll catch flies, dear," Esme remarked, spying Blythe's open-mouthed astonishment and gently rebuking it for her. Blythe shut her mouth with an audible snap as Amelia moved towards the sunlight, holding tightly onto her mother's hand.

"Please don't be scared," she whispered. Esme looked at her curiously, leading her faltering daughter towards the light. Her own skin lit up like a thousand sparkling diamonds, as vampire skin always does. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped when she observed her youngest daughter, the sunlight now reflecting off her.

"My goodness," Carlisle breathed, "I've never seen anything quite like it."

"Whoa!" breathed Seth. The rest of the family and the pack had arrived, and were standing around their cars, transfixed by Amelia.

"Badass!" whooped Emmett. A loud smack followed his declaration, courtesy of Rosalie.

"Thank you, Rosalie."

Amelia stared down at the ground, self-consciousness and a hint of wariness kicking in. Instead of Amelia sparkling like diamonds, she was glowing a rosy shade of pink. She was thoughtful, but as Jasper picked up on her change of emotions to being wary and self-conscious and somewhat gloomy, so her colour changed. A turquoise blue gleamed instead, and as he manipulated her emotions to ones of a more tranquil, peaceful nature, she turned a delicate shade of lilac.

"Do you have any idea why she is changing colour?" Carlisle asked of Eleazar.

"That would be my influence," Jasper spoke up, "Mia bug was feeling a bit uneasy, so she changed to blue, and now I'm calming her down, so she has changed to purple."

"So her colouring is related to her mood? Interesting," mused Eleazar thoughtfully.

"She's glowing, rather than sparkling. It's almost pearlescent," Carlisle muttered, observing his daughter, who squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny, desperately wishing that he would speak to her, rather than about her. In the distance, thunder rumbled and the small patch of sunlight disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Carlisle," admonished Esme, leading Amelia towards the house by the hand.

"Sorry sweetheart," apologised Carlisle.

"Why don't we all play a game of baseball?" proposed Emmett, clapping his hands together. Jasper frowned at him, picking up on his littlest sister's fraying emotions.

"Maybe next time, big guy," Amelia offered a tired smile, before allowing her mother to usher her inside the house. A soft pitter patter of feet heralded Jemima's arrival in the general vicinity of her owner, who picked her up with a soft greeting and took her to the kitchen to give her some food.

"Simon asked me to give this to you," spoke Esme, holding out several DVDs, "it's something that Peter put together for you, and he had it converted from the original video to a digital format to make it last longer. Peter wanted us to have it so that we could have some mementos of the first three years of your life."

"That's really kind of him. How is Peter doing?" Amelia's voice was filled with concern for her beloved godfather. He'd not been too far from her mind.

"He's coping. Barely, but he's coping. He misses you. Simon and Ariané are taking care of him. I know you miss him, sweetheart. I wish that we could tell him about us," the caramel-haired woman spoke softly, recalling the shell of a man who'd managed a watery smile in her direction but an hour ago. She was worried about him too. The burden of guilt that he carried was heavy.

"Can we keep an eye on him?" the newborn queried, her crimson eyes filled with a glimmer of hope.

"Count on it, Amelia, count on it."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **My sincerest apologies for the long wait! Exams, student protests and trying to finish off patients whose treatment should have been done weeks ago has made for a busy few weeks.**

 **Many thanks to my good friend, Chantal, or sweetesme as she is known on this site, for providing the German translation. If any of you have WattPad, check out her Carlisle and Esme series. She writes as chantisweety.**

German translations:

Guten Tag! - _Hello_

mein Schätzchen - _my darling_

Oh mein Gott! - _Oh my God!_ [I literally asked Chantal for the German equivalent of _Sacre Dieu!_ ]

Wie schaffst du das jedes Mal? Also wiklich… Hast du schlechtes Hirschblut getrunken? Das ist doch schon nicht mer normal… - _How do you do that every time? Honestly... Have you drunk bad elk blood? That's not normal anymore..._


	10. Chapter 10

"How are you managing, Amelia?" murmured Carlisle, interrupting his conversation with Blythe to twist around in his seat. He struggled to resist the urge to laugh at the disgusted expression gracing his youngest daughter's face. She grimaced, but nodded.

"It's easier when I hold my breath," she stated.

"Doesn't it get uncomfortable being without your sense of smell?" wondered Esme, also twisting around in her seat to observe her 'youngest' daughters, who were sitting in the row behind them.

"It's not unbearable, but I have little desire to inhale too deeply," Amelia remarked drily. Blythe stifled a giggle and somewhere across the aisle from Amelia, Edward rolled his eyes at his younger sister's thoughts. _Did you hear that, Eddie boy?_ she thought to him.

"Don't call me that!" he exclaimed. Amelia leaned forward in her seat to grin evilly at him, before allowing her newly-mastered shield to snap back into place, effectively protecting her mind from her elder brother's tiresome talent.

"Are we there yet?" bellowed Emmett from his seat next to Edward. Esme shook her head in disdain as a resounding smack, courtesy of Rosalie, was heard.

"Emmett, we took off an hour ago. We still need to get to Atlanta and catch our connecting flight to Italy," Esme reprimanded, "there is no need to bellow and disturb the humans."

"Yes Mom," he grinned innocently, before continuing his conversation with Rosalie as though he hadn't a care in the world. Jasper and Alice were quiet, pretending to sleep. Jasper had expressed concerns about losing his wife to the Guard – Aro would try to recruit Edward and Alice once more, and that all but guaranteed that he would try to take Amelia from them as well.

The resident empath was overwhelmed with his own emotions, as well as those of his family, and being on a packed aeroplane was not helping him in the slightest. One half of the passengers were desperately upset, having left family behind for whatever the reason may be, the other half were ecstatic to be going to their new destination. It was becoming too much to handle, so he was trying to tap into his youngest sister's rather calm and sleepy emotions in order to gain some relief from the emotional assault.

Nearly five hours of flying would take them to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, whereupon the massive international departures lounge would hopefully entertain certain members of the family, namely Emmett. Georgia was notoriously sunny and warm during the summer months and with no cloudy days in sight, the Cullens were travelling at night to avoid detection. From there, a longer nine hour flight would take them to Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport in Rome. That unfortunately did not include the four and a half hour wait between the two flights, which would be spent in the international departures terminal of the expansive airport in Atlanta.

"Tired?" queried Esme, observing Amelia attempting to stifle a yawn with little success. The unusual newborn vampire in question grinned sheepishly, before nodding self-consciously.

"A little," she conceded.

"Carlisle, swap with Amelia," the Cullen matriarch commanded drily, "that way you can continue your conversation with Blythe about whatever the topic is that you are discussing so eagerly and Amelia can get some rest."

"It's fine Mom, really," Amelia tried to reassure her mother, who merely arched an eyebrow in response and glared at her husband, who hastened to unclip his seatbelt and stand up. Amelia followed suit. Carlisle knew better than to argue with his better half, whose own emotional state was barely hanging on by a thread, fearful of what the next few days would hold. When the Cullen matriarch decreed something, everyone hastened to obey. Carlisle may be the leader of the Olympic coven, but Esme was undeniably the one who wore the pants.

"Much better," she commented when her husband and daughter had reorganised their seating arrangements, "you may continue with your discussion."

"Yes Esme."

"Yes Mom." Blythe's response received a small smile from Esme, who proceeded to turn around and fuss over the dark-haired vampire now sitting next to her. Amelia threw an unrecognisable glance at her father and sister, before allowing her mother to continue her ministrations.

The rest of the flight to Atlanta continued without incidence, the silence broken by Emmett's occasional "are we there yet?", and Carlisle and Blythe softly continuing their debate about a topic that Esme wasn't even going to attempt to understand. Instead, she spent a great deal of time marvelling at the contrast between their flight back in late January and their flight now – both had uncertain outcomes and the worry had not lessened in the slightest, however Amelia was a lot healthier now than she was on the previous trip. The last trip had been spent worrying about running out of oxygen, avoiding blood sugar level crashes and trying to keep a terminally ill teenager as comfortable as possible whilst bringing her to her new home. This trip would be spent hoping that they'd bring Amelia home at all and not lose her to the hands of the Volturi. Esme couldn't help but feel that this trip was going to be eventful in some regard – whether it would be positive or negative was anyone's guess.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport shortly. Please..." the rest of the message faded into insignificance as Esme snapped out of her musings and glanced next to her, where Amelia slept peacefully, a small crease between her eyebrows alternatively tensing and relaxing. She pondered briefly what her daughter was witnessing in her dreams.

"It's time to wake up, Amelia," Esme shook her teenage daughter awake, only to be answered with a noise akin to Godzilla.

"Squirt, time to wake up!" boomed Emmett, bounding up the aisle and leaning across Esme to poke his little sister into consciousness.

"Em," Amelia groaned, swatting vaguely in the direction of the walking cacophony that was her middle brother.

"Emmett, go and sit down," Esme half-heartedly reprimanded him. He was entertaining to be around, although he could get on her last nerve without too much effort on his part. Now was one of those moments where she was starting to become exasperated with him and she shooed him away.

"I'm up," Amelia sighed, pulling herself into a sitting position and disengaging herself from her mother's hold. She rubbed her eyes and squinted at her watch to get an indication of the time.

"Atlanta is three hours ahead of Washington," Esme helpfully supplied, "I adjusted your watch for you whilst you slept."

"Thanks," she stifled a yawn, her eyes involuntarily shutting as she yearned to succumb to the heaviness of sleep that threatened to pull her under again.

"Do you need some coffee? An energy drink? Booze?"

"Emmett!" Half a dozen fed up voices chorused.

"You are not getting your sister drunk!" bellowed Carlisle.

"I don't think she can tolerate alcohol anyway," mused Blythe, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully. They had discovered that Amelia could not tolerate food and had thus determined that it was habit that had Amelia pouring herself cereal on her first morning as a vampire, not hunger. Emmett grinned good-naturedly and started humming under his breath, ceasing when he caught side of Rosalie glaring at him.

"Are you alright?" Esme asked Amelia softly, observing her daughter holding her breath as the aeroplane started to descend.

"Yeah," Amelia exhaled loudly, "I had my concerns that it would be a repeat of last time, but I guess my new 'lifestyle' has its perks."

"Are you feeling alright, Amelia?" Carlisle interjected, poking his head between the seats. Amelia glanced at him and burst out laughing. The incredulous look on Esme's face told her that she was as surprised as Amelia was.

"Just peachy, Dad," she managed, before glancing away to compose herself.

"Excuse me Sir, but could you please sit down?" a flight attendant asked as she made her final checks of the first class cabin in preparation for the landing.

"Sorry," Carlisle apologised, obligingly sitting down and buckling up. Blythe grinned as she watched Amelia's shoulders shake with mirth.

* * *

"Hey Squirt, do you want to pig out on McDonalds with me? First one to puke is the loser!" Emmett hollered enthusiastically, bounding towards one of the three McDonalds restaurants that were housed in the airport complex. Amelia grimaced. Carlisle sighed. Esme shut her eyes, took a deep breath and counted to ten.

"No thanks, Emmett," Amelia called back, "Maybe we when get back home?"

"Aww! You're no fun!" Emmett's lower lip jutted out in mock disdain. Amelia managed a watery smile in his direction. As the distance between Seattle and Italy grew less, and the reality that they were leaving the relative safety of American soil for the uncertainty of European soil began to set in, Amelia was starting to grow fearful. Jasper shot her a wary glance, and she shook her head, wanting to be left alone to deal with her emotions.

"We're boarding through Gate C15 in three and a half hours. Can we agree to meet up at the gate in three hours' time?" Carlisle rallied the family together. Emmett grinned widely, his eyes darting between his father and the McDonalds restaurant that the family was conveniently standing in front of. Various murmurs of assent replied, before the Cullen family disbanded and went their separate ways.

"Come Mia," Blythe called, linking arms with her younger sister and pulling her off towards the map of the terminal, "where do you want to go?"

"Perhaps a book shop?"

"There's a _Buckhead Books_ and a _Simply Books_. Both of them are on Concourse B."

"Any idea where that is?"

"I haven't the foggiest clue! Let's go explore!" Blythe stated with great aplomb, heading off in what she thought was the general direction of their destination, dragging Amelia along with her. Success was not their friend, and before long, they had turned around and were heading in the opposite direction, much to Alice's amusement, who kept a watchful eye on them through her visions.

* * *

"I'm worried, Dad," stated Emmett. The two of them had met somewhere in the middle of the terminal, leaving their respective wives to shop a little more. Immortal or not, they were still men who loathed shopping for no purpose. Hand them a shopping list and they would be fine, but dump them in the middle of a mall and expect them to browse for a long period of time? Forget it, and airport terminals were no exception to the rule either. Jasper had been incredibly grateful when the concept of online shopping had been developed – being married to the resident psychic shopaholic did have its drawbacks.

"About Amelia?" Carlisle guessed. Emmett almost never referred to Carlisle as 'dad', 'pops', or any other paternal term of endearment, the exception being when he wanted something, was trying to cover his tracks when he'd caused trouble, or when he was worried about something.

"Yeah," the giant teddy bear sighed, then proceeded to launch right into the voicing of his concerns, "what if we lose Squirt?"

"Emmett, this trip is about learning more about Amelia's uniqueness, and how to manage it. Think of it like that first aid course you took a few months ago when Amelia came to live with us – do you remember how you wanted to make sure that you could handle any crisis that involved Amelia?"

"Yeah."

"It's the same concept. You read up about Cystic Fibrosis. You found journal articles about possible new treatments; you did more research about a single topic than I have ever seen you do before. You made sure that you knew how to take care of her because heaven forbid something happen to her on your watch."

"Uh huh."

"We're going to Italy to find answers, because your little sister is not like you, or me, or Rosalie, or any of the others. She should be stronger than you, she should be faster than everyone, she should be hunting every single day and overwhelmed with thirst. For a newborn less than two weeks into this lifestyle, she should not be parading around the airport with her sister by her side, making small talk with the barista in _Starbucks_. She should be wanting to drain every human in this airport dry, not wrinkling her nose up because they smell bad."

"I'm scared that _they_ try to take her from us," Emmett sighed.

"Amelia will not go down without a fight - that I can guarantee you," Carlisle tried to reassure his son.

"I know. It's just," he paused, trying to put into words his fears for his beloved littlest of sisters, "what if we get there and they tell us that Amelia's going to die or something? That she's too powerful but too weak, and that changing her was a mistake, and that we should have let her die?"

Emmett's voice was flat and broken. The muscular eternal teenager, who wrestled bears for fun, put his head in his hands, defeat written so clearly in his posture. His shoulders shook as he tried to grasp his emotions. Carlisle, at a complete loss as to how to comfort his son, placed an uncertain hand on Emmett's shoulder. For the first time since he had become a vampire, Emmett McCarthy Cullen was scared. For the first time in his existence, both mortal and immortal, his happy-go-lucky attitude failed him.

"You're not going to get rid of me that easily, Emmy Bear."

Carlisle smiled warily as Amelia approached her elder brother, Blythe hot on her heels. They had heard the whole conversation from the coffee shop that they had been seated at. Emmett glanced up and caught his sister's gaze head on. She grinned rather cheerfully at him, before engulfing him in the tightest hug she could manage. He reciprocated the gesture.

"Can't breathe, Emmett," Amelia choked out when Emmett's grip became too tight.

"Sorry," he loosened his hold immediately, checking her for cracks.

"I'm still in one piece, big guy. And I'll be on that plane ride home with you. Save me a seat next to you, won't you?"

"Aren't you scared?" he wondered in bewilderment. Amelia had done a total 180 since their arrival in Atlanta. She was upbeat and optimistic, a far cry from earlier.

"Not anymore, no. When I was people-watching with Blythe earlier, I realised a few things. I'm not afraid of dying, Em. I want answers just as much as everyone else does, but I'm not afraid of the cost. If I am destined to die, be it at the hands of the Volturi or by 'natural'," she made quotation marks in the air with her fingers, "causes, I am alright with it. If it's not meant to be, then it's simply not meant to be. My biggest fear? It's leaving you behind, leaving Mom and Dad behind, the others. That is what I am scared of. That is what keeps me up at night, so to speak."

"I don't want to lose you," Emmett stated softly.

"You won't, Em. Not if I can help it. Now, what did you say about a McDonalds pig-out?"

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Hi guys! My humblest apologies for taking so long to update. In the few weeks since the last update,** **I finished off my patients, graduated (yes, we actually managed to graduate in spite of the student protests) and moved to the opposite end of the country. I never quite appreciated just how hard it is to pack up 24 years of your life and relocate 1600km away. I start working on January 3rd, so it's quite scary to transition from the student life to the 'adultier' adult life.**

 **Many thanks to a good friend, affectionately dubbed 'Mama B', for all of her assistance on this chapter. I literally googled flight plans and sent her a short list of connection destinations. Apparently Atlanta won because it is pretty massive - wise words from a seasoned traveler. You rock, Mama B.**

 **Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. May 2017 be a prosperous one, and may it be everything that you hope for.**


	11. Chapter 11

Hi All,

Sorry for the extreme inactivity. Unfortunately I suffered a very unwelcome health setback at the beginning of March. That, coupled with my near-permanent lack of wifi, has resulted in me not doing much along the lines of writing as of late. This setback has been a waiting game of sorts, although we were ill-prepared for its severity. It's not as bad as the previous one, but it's going to take an awful lot longer to recover from it. There is very little I can do now except wait and see what happens. It has taken a lot more out of me than I am willing to admit.

I am sorry, and I hope to get back to writing in the next few weeks.

Thank you for your patience.

CriminalBones92


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